n€;/^rvS 


m 


The  Library 
University  of  California,  Los  Angeles 


The  gift  of  Mrs.  Cummings,  1963     ^ 


THE  MODERN  READER'S  BIBLE 

A   SERIES   OF  WORKS  FROM  THE  SACRED  SCRIPTURES  PRESENTED 
IN   MODERN   LITERARY  FORM 


ECCLESIASTES 

AND 

THE   WISDOM    OF    SOLOMON 

EDITED,  WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION  AND  NOTES 
BY 

RICHARD  G.  MOULTON,  M.A.  (Camb.),  Ph.D.  (Penn.) 

Professor  of  Literature  in  English  in  the 

University  of  Chicago 


THE    MACMILLAN    COMPANY 

LOXDOX:   MACMILLAN   &  CO.,  LTD. 
1899 

AU  rights  reserved 


Copyright,  1896, 
By  MACMILLAN  AND  CO. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped  March,  1896.      Reprinted  October, 
December,  1896;  January,  July,  1897;  August,  1898;  July,  1891 


Nortaooli  IBress 

J.  S.  Cashing  &  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith 
Norwood  Mass.  U.S.A. 


Introduction 


I 

The  present  number  of  the  Modern  Reader's  Bible 
unites  in  a  single  volume  the  biblical  Ecclesiastes  and  the 
apocryphal  Wisdom  of  Solomoti.  It  is  essential  that  the 
two  works  should  be  studied  together.  While  they  have 
their  respective  places  in  the  development  of  Wisdom  lit- 
erature, yet  from  the  two  works  previously  introduced 
they  stand  separated  by  a  gulf  as  wide  as  that  between 
primitive  and  modern  thought.  Proverbs  and  Ecclesias- 
ticus,  with  all  their  force  and  beauty,  belong  to  Hebrew 
literature ;  the  writings  now  to  be  considered  form  a  part 
of  that  world  literature  which  is  independent  of  time  and 
nation.  In  their  thought  the  two  works  are  contrasted  to 
the  extent  of  being  antagonistic.  But  this  antagonism  is 
itself  a  unity ;  we  have  here  Semitic  religious  tradition 
and  speculative  Greek  thought  struggling  together  over  the 
supreme  human  problems  of  immortality  and  Divine  provi- 
dence. No  literary  styles  could  be  more  unlike  than  those 
of  Ecclesiastes  and  Wisdom.  The  one  carries  to  an  ex- 
treme   the   indefinite   suggestiveness   of  Hebrew ;  in  the 

V 


J^08o5f>2 


-^  Introduction 

other  there  is  a  minuteness  of  analysis  that  goes  beyond 
that  of  classical  Greek  philosophy.  Yet  the  two  agree  in 
casting  a  spell  of  fascination  over  every  reader;  a  spell 
nowise  diminished  by  the  fact  that  in  Ecclesiastes  every 
second  sentence  is  a  literary  puzzle,  nor  by  the  rebellious 
spirit  with  which  the  reader  of  Wisdom  follows  the  plunges 
of  his  author  from  passages  of  the  noblest  eloquence  to 
subtilties  of  inference  or  analogy  which  delight  to  delay 
an  argument  in  full  course.  Such  agreement  and  con- 
trast make  reason  enough  for  studying  Ecclesiastes  and 
Wisdom  together ;  a  more  important  reason  yet  is  the  fact 
that  a  leading  point  in  their  interpretation  is  the  question 
whether  one  of  the  two  is  not  a  veiled  answer  to  the  other. 
Our  consideration  of  these  works  is  at  the  outset  en- 
countered by  a  critical  obstacle  of  an  unusual  kind.  I 
have  said,  in  the  opening  volume  of  this  series,  that  I  con- 
sider it  unnecessary  to  introduce  historic  questions  of 
authorship  and  date  in  an  edition  that  aims  only  at  literary 
appreciation.  But  obviously  an  exception  must  be  made 
where  a  mistaken  view  of  authorship  has  been  allowed  to 
come  in  as  a  disturbing  force,  and  throw  a  false  colour 
over  the  interpretation  of  a  classic.  This  I  believe  to 
have  been  the  case  in  regard  to  the  traditional  view  that 
Ecclesiastes  was  written  by  King  Solomon.  In  this  ques- 
tion all  the  considerations  from  which  authorship  is  usually 
inferred  —  local  and  historic  colour,  position  in  literary 
development,  minutiae  of  language  which  fix  the  date  of  a 


Introduction  ^ 

book  as  clearly  as  handwriting  betrays  the  age  of  a  manu- 
script —  all  are  on  one  side,  and  point  to  a  period  of  writ- 
ing centuries  later  than  Solomon.  On  the  other  side 
there  is  only  a  single  argument.  But  this  is  an  argument 
which,  if  it  could  be  maintained,  might  outweigh  all  the 
rest :  for  it  is  the  plea  that  the  book  itself  distinctly  as- 
serts that  Solomon  is  its  author.  If  this  be  true,  he  would 
be  a  bold  critic  who  would  run  counter  to  such  an  asser- 
tion, and  proclaim  a  work  like  Ecclesiastes  to  be  a  literary 
fraud.  What  I  desire  to  show  is  that,  when  the  whole  is 
carefuiiy  studied,  the  words  supposed  to  proclaim  the  Solo- 
monic authorship  are  capable  of  an  entirely  different  inter- 
pretation. 

As  a  preliminary  to  all  interpretation  the  exact  literary 
form  of  the  work  must  be  settled.  Ecclesiastes  is  not  a 
book  with  a  continuous  argument,  but  is  a  miscellany  of 
wisdom :  made  up  of  a  number  of  reasoned  compositions, 
such  as  I  designate  essays,  and  also  strings  of  disconnected 
brevities  —  maxims,  epigrams,  unit  proverbs.  In  these  re- 
spects the  work  agrees  with  Proverbs  and  Ecclesiasticus  ; 
but  it  has  one  important  point  of  difference  from  them. 
In  Ecclesiastes  the  essays,  though  each  is  an  independent 
composition,  unite  in  a  common  drift  of  thought ;  and 
they  are  further  bound  into  a  unity  by  a  prologue  and  epi- 
logue. This  again  is  what  we  might  expect.  The  en- 
tirely isolated  observations  which  make  up  the  matter  of 
Proverbs  were,  in  Ecclesiasticus^  found  so  far  drawn  to- 
vii 


-5S  Introduction 

gether  as  to  be  grouped  into  *  essays.'  In  Ecclesiastes 
there  is  a  further  advance,  and  all  the  essays  are  drawn 
together  into  a  sequence.  But  this  is  not  inconsistent 
with  the  fact  that  here,  as  in  Ecclesiasticiis,  disconnected 
sayings  are  used  to  fill  in  gaps  between  the  more  impor- 
tant compositions. 

This  recognition  in  Ecclesiastes  of  portions  of  the  whole 
as  outside  the  general  argument  must  not  be  dismissed  as 
an  example  of  that  vicious  criticism  which,  in  analysing  a 
book,  forms  a  theory  and  then  pronounces  spurious  those 
passages  which  do  not  harmonise  with  it.  Partly  of  course 
this  determination  of  the  technical  form  of  the  work  is 
based  on  internal  evidence,  and  I  must  leave  the  arrange- 
ment presented  below  to  speak  for  itself.  But  it  is  further 
supported  by  the  analogy  of  the  other  books  of  wisdom 
which  display  the  same  features.  A  more  important  con- 
firmation still  is  the  passage  of  the  epilogue  in  which  the 
author  describes  the  contents  of  his  work. 

And  further,  because  the  Preacher  was  wise,  he  still  taught 
the  people  knowledge ;  yea,  he  pondered,  and  sought  out,  and 
set  in  order  many  proverbs. 

'  Pondered '  suggests  original  composition,  and  it  is  unnec- 
essary to  remark  that  a  large  part  of  this  work  bears  the 
impress  of  a  highly  individual  thinker.  ^  Sought  out ' 
may  well  mean  borrowing  from  others ;  there  are  not  a 
few  of  the  miscellaneous  sayings  which  lack  the  peculiari- 


Introduction  ^ 

ties  of  expression  that  characterise  the  book  as  a  whole, 
and  may  be  supposed  to  have  been  borrowed  from  others. 
'  Set  in  order '  describes  the  careful  disposition  of  the 
parts  between  a  prologue  and  epilogue  which  bind  them 
together.  The  author  goes  on  to  state  his  conception  of 
the  limits  of  philosophic  writing. 

The  words  of  the  wise  are  as  goads,  and  as  nails  well 
fastened  are  the  words  of  the  collectors  of  sentences,  which 
are  given  from  one  shepherd.  And  as  for  more  than  these, 
my  son,  be  warned  :  of  making  many  books  there  is  no  end  ; 
and  much  study  is  a  weariness  of  the  flesh. 

The  purpose  of  the  whole  of  Ecclesiastes  has  been  to 
serve  as  'goads/  or  stimulus,  to  wise  conduct;  and  the 
image  of  '  nails  well  fastened '  fits  in  with  the  special  pur- 
pose of  Essay  IV  —  to  secure  in  pithy  notes  those  results  of 
detail  which  wise  thinking  has  yielded,  in  the  absence  of 
power  to  solve  the  mystery  of  the  whole.  Thus  to  invent 
and  collect,  and  by  arrangement  to  stamp  the  whole  with 
the  individuality  of  a  single  mind  —  a  flock  gathered  by 
a  single  "^  shepherd'  —  this  represents  to  our  author  the 
furthest  limits  to  which  philosophy  can  safely  go.  When 
he  proceeds  to  warn  against  what  is  '  more  than  these,'  it 
is  surely  not  straining  his  words  to  see  in  them  protests 
against  books  which  in  continuous  argument  pretend  to 
solve  the  whole  mystery  of  things,  the  impossibility  of 
which  is  the  chief  thought  of  Ecclesiastes. 


-58  Introduction 

With  the  form  of  the  work  thus  determined  as  a  suite 
of  five  essays,  separated  by  miscellaneous  sayings,  and 
bound  together  by  a  prologue  and  epilogue,  we  are  pre- 
pared to  consider  the  question  whether  this  Ecclesiastes 
asserts  itself  as  the  composition  of  Solomon.  When  we 
turn  to  the  prologue  and  epilogue,  where  it  is  most  natural 
to  expect  light  on  the  authorship  of  a  work,  we  find  not  a 
single  mention  of  Solomon,  nor  anything  to  suggest  his 
personality.  Indeed,  so  markedly  is  this  absent  from  the 
epilogue,  that  those  who  hold  the  traditional  view  are 
driven  to  doubting  the  authenticity  of  these  final  sentences. 
Again,  there  is  no  suggestion  of  Solomon  in  the  miscella- 
neous sayings,  nor  in  four  out  of  the  five  essays.  On  the 
contrary,  there  are  in  these  portions  of  the  book  several 
passages  which  it  is  difficult  to  fancy  the  historic  Solomon 
as  writing ;  and  his  general  tone  as  he  describes  life  is 
that  of  one  who  endures  the  oppression  of  the  powerful,  or 
at  least  sympathises  with  such  sufi"ering,  rather  than  that 
of  one  who  has  held  power  in  his  own  hands.  The  con- 
nection with  Solomon  is  wholly  confined  *  to  what  is  here 
called  the  first  essay  (from  verse  12  of  chapter  I  to  the 
end  of  chapter  II  in  the  biblical  arrangement)  ;  but  this 
portion  of  the  book  is  entirely  occupied  with  Solomon. 
It  will  be  urged  that  if  this  section  is  from  the  pen  of  Sol- 
omon then  the  general  unity  of  connection  between  this 

*  I  have  not  thought  it  necessary  to  refer  to  the  sub-title :  on  which  see 
below,  p.  137. 

X 


Introduction  B^ 

and  the  other  sections  will  extend  the  Solomonic  author- 
ship over  the  whole  work.  This  is  a  fair  argument ;  but 
on  the  other  hand,  if  it  can  be  shown  that  the  words  sup- 
posed to  assert  authorship  are  susceptible  of  another  in- 
terpretation, then  this  confinement  of  the  personal  matter 
to  a  single  essay  will  become  a  consideration  of  great 
importance. 

This  essay  opens  with  the  words,  "  I  the  Preacher  was 
king  over  Israel  in  Jerusalem  " ;  and  proceeds  to  narrate 
a  survey  of  life  and  all  its  good  things.  It  is  quite  natural 
for  a  modern  reader,  in  whose  mind  the  idea  of  individual 
authorship  is  a  matter  of  course,  to  understand  these  words 
as  announcing  the  writer  of  what  he  is  about  to  read.  But 
to  the  student  of  Comparative  Literature  the  expression 
will  be  equally  suggestive  of  another  meaning — that  this 
King  Solomon  is  not  the  author  but  the  /lero  of  what  is  to 
follow.  A  modern  philosopher  as  a  matter  of  course  gives 
out  what  he  is  to  say  in  his  own  name.  But  it  was  a 
frequent  custom  in  the  literatures  of  antiquity  to  clothe  a 
philosophers  thinking  under  some  dramatic  personality. 
Thus  Plato  never  speaks  in  his  own  name,  but  puts  his 
thoughts  into  the  mouth  of  Socrates  in  dialogue  with  other 
personages ;  no  one  supposing  that  Socrates  said  what  is 
thus  attributed  to  him,  but  the  writer  conveying  to  all  that 
he  regards  himself  as  of  the  school  of  Socrates.  The 
Pythagoreans  made  it  such  a  point  of  honour  to  speak  their 
thoughts  in  the  name  of  their  common  master,  that  they 
xi 


-^  Introduction 

regarded  the  violent  death  of  one  of  their  number  as  a 
judgment  on  him  for  the  selfishness  of  speaking  in  his  own 
name.  To  how  large  an  extent  the  sam.e  spirit  prevailed 
among  the  wise  men  of  the  Hebrews  is  powerfully  sug- 
gested by  a  passage  of  the  Palestinian  Talmud,  which 
says  that  ^'  Scripture,  Mishnah,  and  Talmud,  and  Agadah, 
a7id  even  that  which  the  diligent  scholar  was  destined  to 
point  ont  before  his  7naster,  were  already  spoken  to  Moses 
from  Sinai."*  In  the  Bible  itself  we  are  able  to  see  how 
much  more  prominent  to  its  arrangers  is  the  matter  of  the 
book  than  its  authorship,  in  the  fact  that  the  titles  (outside 
prophecy)  reflect  the  former ;  the  Books  of  Job,  of  Ruth, 
of  Esther,  of  Joshua,  of  Judges,  of  Samuel,  of  Kings,  are 
works  of  which  these  personages  are  heroes,  not  authors. 
But  there  is  a  parallel  closer  at  hand.  This  very  compan- 
ion work  to  Ecclesiastes,  which  is  written  in  Greek,  and 
belongs  to  a  date  not  far  removed  from  the  Christian 
era,  nevertheless  is  found  to  use  the  same  personality  of 
Solomon  ;  its  middle  essay  —  like  this  first  essay  of  Eccle- 
siastes  —  narrating  in  the  first  person  an  incident  of  the 
historic  Solomon,  and  on  it  as  a  text  preaching  in  his  name 
to  other  kings ;  while  this  personality,  which  has  not  ap- 
peared until  that  part  of  the  book,  is  dropped  when  its 
purpose  has  been  served.  In  precisely  the  same  way,  the 
author  of  Ecclesiastes  in  this  essay  identifies  himself  for 

*  Quoted  in  Smith's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  article  Ecclesiastes.     See, 
also,  below,  p.  137. 

xii 


Introduction  ^ 

the  moment  with  Solomon,  in  order  to  picture  an  imagi- 
nary experiment  which  could  have  been  fully  carried  out 
only  by  Solomon,  as  the  one  personage  who  united  the 
supreme  forms  of  wealth,  of  wisdom,  and  of  power. 

It  seems  reasonable,  then,  alike  from  literary  usage  and 
force  of  context,  to  understand  in  the  opening  words  of 
this  first  essay  a  reference  to  something  other  than  au- 
thorship. We  now  catch  the  significance  of  the  circum- 
stance that  outside  this  particular  section  no  trace  of 
Solomon  appears  throughout  the  whole  book.  We  must 
remember  again  how  the  whole  weight  of  internal  evi- 
dence is  found  by  experts  to  tend  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion ;  so  much  so  that  one  of  the  most  eminent  of  them 
has  made  the  remark  that  if  Ecclesiastes  be  by  Solomon 
there  can  be  no  such  thing  as  a  history  of  the  Hebrew 
language.  In  view  of  all  these  considerations  it  becomes 
necessary  to  dismiss  altogether  the  Solomonic  authorship 
of  Ecclesiastes  as  a  misunderstanding  coming  down  to  us 
by  tradition  from  an  uncritical  age. 

Who  the  author  of  the  book  was,  and  what  is  its  age, 
I  do  not  care  to  discuss.  All  that  I  have  been  anxious 
about  has  been  to  remove,  even  for  the  least  critical 
reader,  the  great  obstacle  to  the  understanding  of  Ecclesi- 
astes which  the  mistake  as  to  its  authorship  has  interposed. 
I  believe  no  great  work  has  ever  been  so  much  misunder- 
stood in  its  whole  spirit  as  this  present  book  of  wisdom. 
Commentators  have  come  to  it  with  the  preconceived  idea 


-^  Introduction 

that  they  were  to  read  the  pessimism  of  a  broken-spirited 
debauchee ;  and  v/hat  writing  is  strong  enough  to  fight 
against  a  preconceived  idea  of  interpretation?  Those  who 
will  resolutely  dismiss  from  their  minds  associations  with 
the  personality  of  Solomon  will,  I  believe,  as  they  follow 
the  work  be  able  to  catch  a  spirit  of  a  totally  different  kind. 
When  we  approach  Ecclesiastes  from  the  side  of  the 
scriptural  philosophy  contained  in  previous  volumes  of 
this  series,  we  find  that  a  great  change  has  come  over  the 
spirit  of  Wisdom  literature.  The  wisdom  of  Proverbs  and 
Ecclesiasticus  united  two  ideas  :  the  wise  observation  which 
should  guide  conduct,  and  the  sense  of  divine  harmony  in 
all  things  which  continually  presents  itself  as  a  theme  for 
adoration.  In  Ecclesiastes  we  find  that  a  violent  divorce 
has  taken  place  between  these  two  conceptions.  As  regards 
wise  conduct  our  author  is  as  devout  as  his  predecessors. 
But  '  wisdom '  as  a  name  for  the  grand  harmony  of  all 
things  has  disappeared ;  and  in  its  place  has  emerged  an 
idea  expressed  by  the  characteristic  word  S-anity.'  The 
word  ^  wisdom  '  is  indeed  used  for  the  harmony  of  the  whole 
in  a  few  negative  passages  that  express  the  failure  to  find 
it ;  but  for  the  most  part  there  is  a  studious  substitution 
for  it  of  other  terms,  such  as  "the  work  that  God  hath 
done  from  the  beginning  even  to  the  end."  There  is  further 
the  significant  use  of  the  expression  "  all  things  "  —  "  all 
things  are  vanity,"  "  all  things  are  full  of  weariness  "  — 
to  convey  what  seems  a  broken  unity.    And  adoration  has 


Introduction  8«- 

disappeared  ;  reflection  has  been  turned  upon  the  harmony 
of  the  universe,  and  the  writer  finds  only  a  mystery  which 
he  despairs  of  solving. 

The  prevailing  impression  of  Ecclesiastes  is  that  it  is 
wholly  made  up  of  this  despair.  But  if  wt  follow  the 
writer  through  his  sequence  of  essays,  we  shall  find  how 
he  sways  between  the  negative  failure  to  interpret  the  uni- 
verse, and  certain  positive  thoughts,  which,  though  subor- 
dinate^  are  yet  steadily  gaining  ground  as  the  thinker 
proceeds  from  his  commencement  to  his  conclusion. 

The  Prologue  is  wholly  negative.  The  totality  of  things 
is  incomprehensible  —  a  vanity  of  vanities  —  and  the  effort 
to  interpret  it  is  so  much  lost  labour.  In  the  things  of 
nature  there  is  no  movement  w^hich  is  not  movement  in  a 
circle ;  in  human  enquiry  there  is  no  attainment  nor  satis- 
faction. In  the  succession  of  events  there  is  no  advance, 
and  in  the  succession  of  the  generations  of  mankind  there 
is  no  continuance,  or  '•  remembrance '  of  one  generation  by 
another. 

Then  we  get  the  First  Essay,  in  which  the  author  takes 
up  the  personality  of  the  historic  Solomon,  as  the  individ- 
ual endow^ed  by  tradition  with  the  combination  of  all  ob- 
jects of  human  envy,  in  order  to  describe  an  imaginary 
experiment,  by  which  the  several  kinds  of  good  things  are 
to  be  successively  subjected  to  review,  with  the  only  result 
that  each  will  be  found  wanting.  First,  Solomon  is  sup- 
posed to  accumulate  all  possible  objects  of  pleasure,  in- 


-5S  Introduction 

eluding  those  that  their  enemies  would  call  follies  ;  but  all 
through  he  is  to  retain  his  '  wisdom '  or  power  to  analyse. 
The  experiment  is  supposed  successful  as  an  experiment : 
for  his  heart  does  rejoice  because  of  all  his  labour.  But 
this  is  his  only  '  portion '  from  it ;  for  when  he  comes  to 
make  his  survey,  all  proves  '  vanity.' 

Next,  Solomon  is  to  turn  reflection  on  to  wisdom  itself, 
together  with  its  opposite,  madness  and  folly,  to  see  if  here 
any  genuine  satisfaction  is  to  be  found.  He  sees  at  once 
that  wisdom  excels  its  opposite  as  light  excels  darkness ; 
but  this  is  neutralised  by  the  further  consideration  that 
one  event  of  death  awaits  the  two.  Next  he  analyses 
'labour'  — the  production  of  goods  as  distinguished  from 
the  pleasure  which  consists  in  consuming  them.  But  this 
again  appears  hateful  in  the  light  of  death,  and  the  neces- 
sity of  leaving  to  another,  who  may  prove  to  be  a  fool. 
There  is  yet  a  fourth  question  before  Solomon's  experi- 
ment will  have  been  exhaustive :  may  wisdom  be  found  in 
appreciating  the  process,  as  distinguished  from  the  result, 
whether  of  pleasure-making  or  labour?  But  the  thought 
occurs  that  this  power  of  appreciating  life  as  it  passes  is  a 
special  gift  of  God,  and  does  not  depend  upon  the  individ- 
ual himself.  The  fancied  survey  has  in  all  its  departments 
ended  in  illusion. 

This  first  essay  then  is  negative,  with  one  positive 
thought  —  that  natural  happiness,  or  the  appreciation  of 
life  as  it  passes,  is  a  special  gift  from  God. 


Introduction  6«^ 

The  Second  Essay  might  be  entitled,  '•  The  Philosophy 
of  Times  and  Seasons.''  A  particular  theory  of  life  is 
brought  up  for  examination.  It  seems  very  likely  that 
the  writer  has  in  mind  the  preface  to  the  fourth  book  of 
Ecclesiasticus ;  but  the  terms  are  not  precise  enough  for 
us  to  insist  upon  this.  The  point  of  the  theory  is  that 
the  sphere  of  wisdom  does  not  lie  in  the  Whole  but  in  the 
Parts ;  that  all  things  have  an  interest  of  their  own  — 
have  their  'seasons'  —  and  that  here  may  be  found  an 
interpretation  of  life  which  may  stand  testing  as  'wisdom.' 
Having  stated  this  view  in  the  form  of  a  sonnet,  the 
Preacher  proceeds  to  meet  it  with  four  objections.  First, 
it  is  true  that  the  parts  have  an  inherent  interest  of  their 
own ;  but  equally  inherent  and  God-implanted  in  man  is 
the  questioning  of  the  universal  —  he  hath  set  the  'world' 
in  their  heart  —  and  this  is  a  questioning  which  makes 
satisfaction  irnpossible.  Further,  this  appreciation  of  the 
interest  in  the  details  of  passing  life  is  a  God-given  thing, 
and  God  will  act  upon  fixed  principles  which  no  effort 
of  the  individual  will  ever  alter.  A  third  consideration  is 
that  the  '  seasons '  of  things  are  seen  reversed :  wicked- 
ness is  seen  in  the  place  of  judgment.  A  momentary 
thought  suggests  —  Does  not  this  imply  an  hereafter  in 
which  all  these  things  will  be  set  right  ?  The  thought 
is  dismissed :  the  facts  may  equally  suggest  that  there  is 
no  difference  between  man  and  the  beasts  in  the  final 
event ;  death  is  the  end  of  all  alike.  As  a  fourth  objection 
xvii 


-^  Introduction 

comes  the  thought  of  those  things  which  no  'season'  can 
make  interesting ;  and  with  a  gloomy  picture  of  oppres- 
sion, envy,  and  failure  this  second  essay  comes  to  an  end. 

It  has  been  negative  in  its  general  spirit,  like  the  first. 
But  the  positive  thought  of  that  first  essay  —  that  true 
happiness  is  the  gift  only  of  God  —  has  been  repeated 
with  emphasis. 

The  Third  Essay  is  on  the  Vanity  of  Desire.  Attain- 
ment without  satisfaction,  attainment  followed  by  hurt  and 
final  failure,  desire  prompting  eiTort  only  to  encounter  lim- 
itations inherent  in  humanity  itself,  while  the  knowledge 
of  what  is  truly  desirable  will  be  given  only  by  a  future 
which  the  short  life  will  never  see :  all  these  topics  are 
brieBy  touched.  But  the  place  of  prominence  in  this 
essay  is  devoted  to  two  companion  pictures :  on  the  one 
hand  is  exhibited  God-given  wealth  with  God-given  satis- 
faction in~~if,  and  on  the  other  hand  the  same  wealth 
granted  by  God  and  the  satisfaction  withheld.  This  last 
is  pronounced  the  worst  of  all  fates  —  an  untimely  birth  is 
better  than  he.  By  contrast  we  may  say  that  the  other 
side  of  the  picture  presents  the  highest  human  good ;  and 
this  is  nothing  else  than  the  natural,  God-given  happiness 
which  the  previous  essays  have  emphasised. 

The  Fourth  Essay  starts  with  the  impossibility  of  reach- 
ing the  'wisdom'  that  is  so  far  off  and  so  exceeding  deep ; 
but  recognises  an  employment  yet  left  for  the  wise  —  to 
search  out  what  distinctions  of  things  are  possible  to  be 
xviii 


Introduction  ^ 

made,  as  if  notes  by  the  way  to  a  wisdom  the  traveller 
never  expects  to  reach.  The  essay  is  entirely  in  the  form 
of  such  disconnected  notes.  The  mournful  mysteries  and 
paradoxes  of  our  existence  are  passed  in  review  by  our 
author,  each  touched  with  his  marvellous  felicity  of  de- 
scriptive suggestion.  Only  two  paragraphs  need  be  noted 
here.  In  one  he  has  been  describing  the  spectacle  of  the 
oppressor  and  his  innocent  victim  coming  to  the  same  end 
of  death  and  oblivion,  and  how  such  impunity  of  evil 
causes  the  hearts  of  the  sons  of  men  to  be  fully  set  in 
them  to  do  evil.     He  continues  : 

Though  a  sinner  do  evil  an  hundred  times,  and  prolong  his 
days,  yet  surely  I  know  that  it  shall  be  well  with  them  that 
fear  God,  which  fear  before  him  :  but  it  shall  not  be  well  with 
the  wicked,  neither  shall  he  prolong  his  days,  which  are  as  a 
shadow;  because  he  feareth  not  before  God. 

In  the  other  case  the  Preacher  breaks  away  from  his 
gloomy  thoughts,  to  apostrophise  in  a  tone  of  rapture  the 
man  who  has  found  natural  happiness. 

Go  thy  way,  eat  thy  bread  with  joy,  and  drink  thy  wine  with  a 
merry  heart ;  for  God  hath  already  accepted  thy  works. 

In  this  fourth  essay  then,  notwithstanding  its  general  tone 
of  gloom  and  despair,  the  writer  recognises  again  the 
wholesome  enjoyment  of  life,  and  how  it  constitutes  God's 
special  stamp  of  approval.  And  this  positive  thought  is 
reinforced  by  another ;  that,  in  spite  of  all  appearances  to 


-^  Introduction 

the  contrary,  it  cannot  be  other  than  well  with  the  right- 
eous and  evil  with  the  wicked. 

When  we  come  to  the  Fifth  Essay,  the  positive  tone  has 
triumphed  over  the  negative,  and  made  it  subservient. 

Truly  the  light  is  sweet,  and  a  pleasant  thing  it  is  for  the  eyes 
to  behold  the  sun. 

Life  is  a  thing  of  joy.  But  it  is  a  joy  shadowed  by  the 
'judgment.'  The  word  must  not  be  allowed  to  suggest 
New  Testament  ideas,  but  implies  (as  regularly  in  Wis- 
dom literature)  that  fixed  faith  in  the  eternal  controversy 
between  good  and  evil,  and  the  downfall  of  evil,  which 
will  make  all  conduct  responsible.  More  than  this :  the 
gloomy  mystery  of  life  is  to  emphasise  its  happiness.  The 
coming  days  of  vanity  are  a  reason  for  cherishing  life 
while  it  lasts  ;  the  coming  days  of  feebleness  a  reason  for 
a  more  early  recognition  of  the  Creator. 

The  Epilogue  gathers  up  the  results.  The  totality  of 
things  is  incomprehensible.  The  function  of  wisdom,  on 
its  theoretic  side,  is  limited :  wise  thoughts  may  be  col- 
lected on  the  details,  but  to  go  further  and  attempt  the 
mystery  of  the  whole  is  lost  labour.  And  on  its  practical 
side,  all  duty  is  summed  up  in  one  conception  —  human 
works  within  the  limits  of  God's  commandments. 

Thft  whole  thought  of  Ecclesiastes  is  now  before  us. 
Its  negative  side  is  the  abandonment  of  the  mystery  of  the 
universe  as  insoluble.      Its  positive  thoughts  are  two  — 


Introduction  £«- 

immovable  faith  in  God  and  duty,  and  sympathy  with 
natural  happiness.  I  believe  a  prejudice  has  been  created 
against  the  system  of  Ecclesiastes  —  especially  with  those 
who  have  had  the  idea  of  Solomon  in  their  minds  —  by 
the  repeated  occurrence  of  such  words  as  '  eat  and  drink,' 
*  mirth,'  •  be  merry ' ;  and  they  have  felt  that  its  philosophy 
could  be  summed  up  in  the  saying,  "  Let  us  eat  and  drink, 
for  tomorrow  we  die."  But  this  is  to  be  misled  by  a  mere 
feature  of  literary  style.  A  marked  characteristic  of  Eccle- 
siastes is  its  use  of  symbolic  phrases ;  the  final  essay  termi- 
nates in  a  tour-de-force  of  symbolism  by  which  all  the 
infirmities  of  old  age  are  worked  up  into  a  picture  of 
beauty.*  Now,  just  as  this  writer  uses  such  expressions  as 
^ under  the  sun'  over  and  over  again  as  a  formula  for  the 
world  of  the  actual,  so  the  phrase  'eat  and  drink'  is  his 
regular  formula  to  express,  not  only  what  is  sensuous,  but 
all  appreciation  of  what  life  brings.  This  may  be  traced 
by  a  careful  reader  always,  but  it  becomes  indubitable 
where  the  expression  '  eat  and  drink '  is  applied  to  riches 
and  to  labour,  and  even  to  honour : 

—  a  man  to  whom  God  giveth  riches,  wealth,  and  honour,  so 
that  he  lacketh  nothing  for  his  soul  of  all  that  he  desireth,  yet 
God  giveth  him  not  power  to  eat  thereof,  etc. 

There  is  throughout  no  note  of  abandonment  to  the  revel, 
but  the  thought  is  always  of  simple  satisfaction  with  the 

*  Compare  the  note  On  Formulae  :  below,  page  131. 
xxi 


-^  Introduction 

play  of  life:  and  this  it  is  which  the  Preacher  considers 
the  special  gift  of  God  to  his  chosen.  I  say  boldly  that 
there  is  nothing  unwholesome  in  Ecclesiastes.  The  tradi- 
tion of  Hebrew  and  Christian  religion  has  in  actual  fact 
laid  too  much  stress  on  the  sterner  side  of  things ;  it  is 
good  that  at  least  one  of  the  sacred  canon  should  be 
found  to  remind  us  that  one  duty  of  life  is  happiness,  and 
that  nothing  in  religion  can  be  higher  than  praise.  We 
should  have  expected  such  doctrine  from  a  system  of 
thought  in  which  had  been  incorporated  some  simple 
theory  of  providence.  But  to  find  a  thinker  whose  analy- 
sis of  the  universe  has  broken  down  in  perplexity,  yet 
clinging  resolutely  to  the  ideas  of  God  and  duty,  and 
keeping  his  sympathies  with  happiness  fresh  —  it  is  this 
which  makes  the  chief  charm  of  Ecclesiastes  as  an  item  in 
the  world^'s  great  literature. 

But  it  may  be  asked.  Is  there  nothing  ignoble  in  the 
pessimism  which,  with  such  painful  iteration,  insists  on 
linking  man  with  the  beasts  in  their  subjection  to  the 
common  enemy  death?  Pessimism  there  is,  but  surely 
nothing  ignoble.  For  it  is  impossible  to  read  Ecclesiastes 
without  seeing  that  the  writer  is  one  who  longs  to  believe 
in  a  future,  which  absence  of  evidence  forces  him  to 
reject^  as  he  presses  his  search  for  intellectual  satisfaction 
it  is  the  hand  of  death  which  he  finds  closing  up  every 
avenue  of  thought  along  which  he  has  attempted  to  trace 
wisdom.     The  passionate  tone  with  which  he  dwells  upon 


Introduction  6<*- 

the  topic  of  mortality  is  prompted  by  the  sense  of  honour, 
which  will  make  a  man  judge  with  special  severity  the 
evidence  of  what  it  is  his  interest  to  believe.  It  is  how- 
ever this  despair  of  anything  beyond  the  grave  which 
makes  the  main  point  of  conflict  between  Ecclcsiastes  and 
the  companion  work  which  has  yet  to  be  considered. 


II 

In  its  literary  form  The  Wisdom  of  Solomo7i  is  peculiar, 
not  to  say  unique.  It  is  a  series  of  Discourses  on  texts. 
The  texts  are  gnomic  sentences  standing  out  in  their 
independence  from  the  surrounding  matter,  in  which  the 
clauses  are,  after  the  manner  of  Greek  prose,  bound  together 
in  the  closest  relation  by  connecting  particles.  Such  dis- 
courses are  an  expansion  of  the  maxims,  which  —  as  I  have 
used  the  term  in  this  series  —  consist  of  prose  comments 
on  gnomic  texts  ;  and  maxims  of  this  kind  form  an  impor- 
tant part  of  Wisdom  literature. 

Another  feature  of  the  present  work  is  what  may  be  styled 
Analytic  Imagination :  not  the  spontaneous  pictiu-ing  of 
scenes,  of  which  Hebrew  literature  has  its  full  share,  but 
a  conscious  and  artificial  filling  in  of  details  into  the  out- 
line of  another  writer.  The  Plagues  of  Darkness,  of  Hail, 
of  the  Smiting  of  the  Firstborn,  make  passages  of  Wisdom 
which  catch  the  attention  of  every  reader.     Exodus  had 


-^  Introduction 

been  content  to  describe  such  events  in  brief  though  preg- 
nant phrases.  The  present  writer  expands  those  phrases 
into  elaborate  and  wonderful  pictures,  with  touches  that 
are  the  product  of  a  reflecting  mind  turned  upon  the  story 
of  the  older  writer.  It  thus  appears  that  this  feature  of 
IVisdofH  is  of  the  nature  of  a  comment  on  a  text :  in  fact, 
we  have  here  the  intrusion  of  commentary  into  creative 
literature. 

The  next  characteristic  of  the  author  of  Wisdom  is  no 
less  peculiar:  he  is  the  great  master  of  the  Digression. 
St.  Paul,  and  St.  John  in  his  Gospel,  make  much  use  of 
digressions,  and  some  of  their  noblest  passages  are  to  be 
ranked  under  that  head.  But  with  the  present  writer  the 
digression  seems  to  be  an  end  in  itself.  In  the  long  final 
discourse  there  appears  an  elaborate  chain  of  digressions, 
and  digressions  from  those  digressions,  and  digressions 
removed  a  degree  further  still,  like  Chinese  boxes  one 
within  another ;  when  the  last  degree  of  removal  has  been 
reached,  the  writer  returns  regularly  on  his  steps,  picking 
up  without  fail  the  broken  threads,  and  thus  resuming  his 
argument  by  steps  as  formal  as  those  by  which  he  had 
departed  from  it.  In  my  notes  will  be  found  a  Syllabus 
of  the  whole  work,  in  which  these  transitions  are  accu- 
rately marked ;  and  when  the  law  has  been  caught,  the 
clear  thinking  of  our  author  is  at  once  apparent.  The 
spirit  of  digression  appears  again  in  what  seem  awkward 
parentheses  as  they  stand  in  the  text,  but  which  fall  into 


Introduction  S^ 

their  natural  proportions  when  they  are  treated —  as  I  have 
ventured  to  treat  them  —  by  the  modern  device  of  foot- 
notes. For  what  is  a  footnote  but  a  digression  ?  And 
footnotes  and  digressions  aUke  are,  to  all  intents  and  pur- 
poses, comments  upon  that  portion  of  the  text  from  which 
they  branch  off. 

Of  a  similar  kind  is  one  more  feature  of  this  author's 
style.  The  discourses,  though  they  are  independent,  are 
yet,  so  to  speak,  'dove-tailed'  together  by  the  way  in 
which  the  final  thought  of  each  leads  directly  to  the  next ; 
in  the  case  of  the  last  two  the  texts  are  the  concluding 
words  of  the  discourse  that  precedes.  The  effect  is  that 
each  successive  composition  is  of  the  nature  of  a  digres- 
sion from  the  composition  standing  before  it,  but  a  digres- 
sion which  is  expanded  into  an  independent  piece  of  writing. 

Thus  it  appears  how  all  the  peculiar  features  of  the  pres- 
ent writer  are  variations  of  one  conception,  that  of  a  com- 
ment on  a  text.  Though  I  know  of  no  parallel  case,  yet 
it  is  intelligible  that  such  unique  literary  form  should 
be  the  product  of  its  age.  The  language  of  Wisdom  is 
Greek,  but  it  is  a  part  of  the  literature  of  Palestine.  Now, 
in  the  interval  that  separates  between  the  Old  and  New 
Testament  the  chief  literar}'  activity  was  directed  into  the 
channel  of  oral  comment  on  the  law.  The  spirit  of  com- 
mentary has  in  this  one  work  crystallised  into  literary 
form  ;  and  as  its  representative  Wisdom  will  hold  a  perma- 
nent place  in  world  literature. 

XXV 


-^  Introduction 

The  above  are  the  morphological  features  of  T/ie  IVis- 
dotn  of  Solo7noii.  But  another  point  must  here  be  touched 
upon.  Tiie  more  the  work  is  studied,  the  more  interesting 
becomes  the  question  whether  it  is  not  an  answer  —  but 
always  a  veiled  answer — to  Ecclesiastes.  The  considera- 
tion of  this  point  will  force  itself  upon  us  as  we  survey  the 
series  of  discourses. 

The  brief  Opening  Discourse  is  on  Singleness  of  Heart : 
how  crooked  thoughts  and  murmuring  words  frighten 
wisdom  away ;  while  "  that  which  holdeth  all  things 
together"  must  hear  every  secret  utterance.  At  first 
sight  it  is  difficult  to  see  v/hat  is  the  purpose  of  this 
single  paragraph,  marked  out  by  its  form  as  a  separate 
discourse.  Why  insist  so  strongly  on  the  commonplace 
of  the  Divine  omniscience?  and  why  devote  half  the  para- 
graph to  '  secret  murmuring/  vvhich  cannot  be  considered 
a  characteristic  vice  of  the  'judges  of  the  earth'  to  whom 
the  warning  is  addressed  ?  But  the  passage  becomes  full 
of  point  if  the  author  can  be  understood  as  glancing  at 
the  opening  essay  of  Ecclesiastes.  In  that  essay  King 
Solomon  was  pictured  as  indulging  his  soul  in  all  pleasures 
and  '  follies,'  only  keeping  his  wisdom  with  him  in  order 
to  try  the  philosophic  worth  of  such  a  life.  The  present 
discourse  pronounces  such  an  experiment  a  contradiction 
in  terms : 

Wisdom  will  not  enter  into  a  soul  that   deviseth  evil,  not 
dwell  in  a  body  that  is  held  in  pledge  by  sin. 
xxvi 


Introduction  c^ 

The  ^murmuring'  on  which  our  author  lays  sucli  stress 
may  well  be  directed  at  the  pessimism  of  the  Preacher. 
The  concluding  thought,  that  such  false  speech  '  destroy- 
eth  a  soul,'  forms  a  link  to  the  next  discourse. 

In  the  Second  Discourse  the  antagonism  to  Ecclesiastes 
stands  more  clearly  revealed.  Its  very  text  speaks  of  a 
mistaken  life  "courting  death";  and  the  first  words  of 
comment  declare  boldly  that  God  made  not  death,  that 
righteousness  is  immortal ;  it  is  ungodly  men  who  by  their 
words  and  life  have  "  made  a  covenant  with  death." 
Their  words  are  presented  as  an  invitation  to  death  in  a 
monologue,  in  which  the  ungodly  seem  to  be  expanding 
phrases  of  the  Preacher  as  they  declare  that  their  life  is  a 
chance,  that  there  is  no  return  from  Hades ;  come  then 
(they  say)  let  us  enjoy  the  good  things  that  are ;  and 
from  this  they  proceed  to  the  further  thought  of  persecut- 
ing the  righteous  because  their  ways  are  so  different  from 
their  own.  Is  this  a  fair  representation  of  Ecclesiastes  f 
By  no  means,  nor  is  it  meant  to  be.  It  is  not  the  Preacher 
himself  that  is  attacked,  but  the  easy  perversion  of  his 
views  of  life  which  may  be  made  by  others.  An  exalted 
soul  in  spite  of  speculative  despair  clings  to  God  and  duty  ; 
but  the  same  theory  of  life  may  be  wrested  by  the  ungodly 
to  their  destruction. 

In  one  of  his  grand  outbursts  the  author  cries  that  the 
souls  of  the  righteous  are  in  the  hands  of  God  :  thus  turn- 
ing against  Ecclesiastes  one  of  his  own  phrases  (chapter 
xxvii 


-^  Introduction 

ix.  i).  Their  seeming  death  is  but  a  trial  of  tliem  ;  in  the 
'time  of  their  visitation'  there  awaits  them  splendour,  a 
position  in  the  hierarchy  of  God,  and  the  grace  and  mercy 
he  reserves  for  his  chosen. 

At  this  point  the  tendency  to  digression  appears.  The 
author  is  going  to  supplement  the  monologue  of  the  un- 
godly in  this  world  with  another  monologue  when  they  are 
awakened  beyond  the  grave.  But  first  he  breaks  off  to 
notice  the  hopes  of  the  ungodly,  that  is,  the  substitutes  of 
earlier  thought  for  this  hope  of  immortality.  These  sub- 
stitutes are  two  :  life  over  again  in  posterity,  and  length  of 
days  in  this  world.  As  to  the  first,  the  brood  of  the  un- 
godly is  unstable  and  rests  under  a  curse  :  better  than  this 
is  childlessness  with  virtue.  And  again,  the  old  age  of  the 
wicked  is  without  honour;  whereas  (another  noble  pas- 
sage declares)  the  life  cut  short  may  be  the  life  crowned ; 
made  perfect  in  a  short  time,  and  caught  away  lest  the  be- 
witching of  naughtiness  should  bedim  innocence. 

The  author  now  returns  from  his  digression :  catching 
up  the  phrase  '  grace  and  mercy  to  the  chosen,'  he  paints 
the  overthrow  of  the  opponents  of  the  righteous,  how  they 
are  in  the  grave  dishonoured  carcases,  and  how  for  them 
comes  a  day  of  reckoning,  when  they  behold  their  despised 
victims  standing  in  great  boldness  and  triumph.  Another 
monologue  expresses  their  amazement,  and  their  sense  of 
the  vanity  of  that  in  which  they  had  confided.  Then  the 
author  speaks  to  emphasise  the  fleeting  nature  of  all  un- 


Introduction  ^ 

holy  hopes.  But  here  an  unexpected  trend  ot  thought  is 
found.  In  a  brilHant  picture  the  author  describes  the 
whole  creation  uniting  in  vengeance  —  but  on  whom  ?  Not, 
apparently,  on  the  wicked  themselves,  who  have  thus  been 
followed  through  their  life  on  earth  to  a  judgment  be- 
yond the  grave,  but  on  the  general  empire  of  wickedness 
upon  earth  :  for  the  climax  is  that 

so  shall  lawlessness  make  all  the  land  desolate,  and  their  evil 
doing  shall  overturn  the  thrones  of  princes 

There  follows  naturally  a  warning  to  princes,  whose  greater 
responsibility  will  bring  them  greater  punishment ;  and 
this  makes  the  link  leading  to  the  third  discourse.  But 
meanwhile  the  question  of  the  final  condition  of  the  wicked 
has  been  left  unsettled. 

In  the  Third  Discourse  the  author  has  fully  assumed  the 
personality  of  Solomon,  and  in  his  name  proposes  to  speak 
to  other  kings  of  wisdom :  to  speak  without  grudging,  for 
wisdom  desires  the  multiplication  of  the  wise.  Solomon 
is  made  to  tell  how  he  began  with  the  helpless  infancy  of 
other  men,  and  had  to  pray  for  the  wisdom  he  sought. 
From  his  earliest  youth  he  preferred  this  wisdom  to  all 
other  good  things. 

Here  comes  one  of  the  grand  digressions.  He  preferred 
wisdom  to  all  things ;  but  in  reality  all  good  things  came 
with  her.  In  giving  him  this  gift  God  gave  him  also  the 
knowledge  of  all  human  and  external  nature. 


-^  Introduction 

Foi  himself  gave  me  an  unerring  knowledge  of  the  things  that 
are :  to  know  the  constitution  of  the  world,  and  the  operation 
of  the  elements;  the  beginning  and  end  and  middle  of  times; 
the  alternations  of  the  solstices  and  the  changes  of  seasons ; 
the  circuits  of  years  and  the  positions  of  stars ;  the  natures  of 
living  creatures  and  the  ragings  of  wild  beasts ;  the  violences 
of  winds  and  the  thoughts  of  men ;  the  diversities  of  plants 
and  the  virtues  of  roots.  All  things  that  are  either  secret  or 
manifest  I  learned :  for  she  that  is  the  artificer  of  all  things 
taught  me,  even  wisdom. 

This  is  a  most  important  passage.  The  earliest  wisdom 
was  a  reflection  on  human  life :  the  '  works  of  God '  in 
nature  are  mentioned  only  as  a  them.e  for  praise.  Ecclesi- 
astes  had  touched  external  nature  only  to  see  in  it  a  mean- 
ingless round  of  irresistible  recurrence.  But  the  above 
words  imply  that  reflection  and  analysis  have  been 
brought  to  bear  upon  external  nature ;  what  to  us  is 
physical  science  has  now  become  a  part  of  wisdom. 

But  this  digression  is  at  once  followed  by  another.  We 
have  seen  how  in  the  earlier  writers  'wisdom'  covered  two 
ideas :  wise  conduct^  and  the  adoration  of  the  harmony 
that  reigns  in  all  things.  In  Ecclesiastes  these  two  ideas 
had  been  divorced  :  the  harmony  of  things  was  a  mockery, 
and  conduct  was  all  that  was  left  for  wisdom.  In  this 
work  the  severed  ideas  are  to  be  united  more  closely  than 
ever :  the  wisdom  that  animates  conduct  and  the  wisdom 
that  reigns  through  creation  are  one  and  the  same.  In 
the  most  famous  passage  of  the  book  it  is  proclaimed  how 


Introduction  B^ 

wisdom  is  all-per\'asive,  the  spotless  mirror  of  the  working 
of  God  and  an  image  of  his  goodness.  Even  Ecclesiastes 
had  seen  that  wisdom  excels  folly  as  light  excels  dark- 
ness. For  once  the  two  thinkers  are  at  one :  being  com- 
pared with  light  (says  the  present  speaker)  wisdom  is 
found  to  be  before  it ;  for  to  the  light  of  day  succeedeth 
night,  but  against  wisdom  evil  doth  not  prevail.  She  is 
indeed  an  effulgence  from  the  everlasting  light. 

Returning  from  the  digression,  the  discourse  presents 
Solomon  as  repeating  how  he  chose  wisdom  as  his  bride  ; 
for  she  would  bring  him  riches,  understanding,  experience, 
glory  abroad  and  rest  at  home.  The  only  mode  of  obtain- 
ing this  desire  he  thought  to  be  prayer.  Ecclesiastes  had 
presented  an  imaginary  incident  of  Solomon,  though  one 
in  keeping  with  the  traditional  conception  of  this  person- 
age. But  here  the  historic  incident  of  the  prayer  at  Gibeon 
fits  the  writer's  purpose ;  and  along  the  lines  of  that  inci- 
dent Solomon  is  represented  as  invoking  the  wisdom  that 
Cometh  from  on  high.  Closing  with  the  impossibility  of 
knowing  God's  will  without  wisdom,  the  prayer  reaches 
the  thought  that,  when  in  the  past  men  did  right,  it  was 
through  wisdom  that  they  were  saved :  and  these  words 
are  the  text  of  the  discourse  which  follov*-s . 

The  Fourth  Discourse  gives  us  briefly,  what  the  close  of 
Ecclesiastic2is  had  treated  at  full  length,  a  succession  of 
the  Worthies  of  Israel.  But  the  purpose  is  very  different ; 
the  present  writer  mentions  famous  men  not  to  praise  them, 


-^  Introduction 

but  to  trace  in  their  career  the  fuH  conception  of  wisdom. 
The  preceding  discourse  had  brought  together  again  the 
elements  of  wisdom  which  had  been  severed  vsxEcclesiastes: 
the  subjective  wisdom  which  reigns  in  individual  conduct, 
and  the  objective  wisdom  which  binds  together  the  totality 
of  things.  The  two  are  now  seen  side  by  side  in  the 
Fathers.  The  discourse  touches  Adam's  self-conquest 
after  his  first  transgression  ;  Cain  falling  away  from  wisdom 
in  his  anger ;  Abraham  kept  firm  under  sharpest  trial ; 
Lot's  wife  passing  wisdom  by  and  perishing ;  wisdom 
entering  into  the  soul  of  Moses  and  enabling  him  to  with- 
stand kings.  It  tells  also  of  the  external  Power  that  pre- 
served Adam  when  he  was  a  lonely  thing  in  the  midst  of 
the  whole  creation ;  that  called  righteous  Abraham  out  of 
his  land ;  that  found  a  way  of  deliverance  for  righteous 
Lot ;  that  watched  over  the  wanderings  of  Jacob  and  the 
checkered  career  of  Joseph  ;  that  wrought  deliverance  for 
the  people  of  God  and  guided  them  along  a  marvellous 
way  through  the  Red  Sea.  But  the  discourse  does  not 
divide  the  two  conceptions  of  wisdom  as  I  am  doing  here ; 
there  is  design  in  the  way  the  writer  sways  alternately 
from  the  one  to  the  other  wisdom  as  he  traverses  the  suc- 
cession of  the  Worthies,  as  if  to  insist  the  more  closely  upon 
the  union  he  has  in  the  last  discourse  proclaimed.  When 
the  conclusion  is  reached,  the  conception  of  the  objective 
wisdom  as  providence  stands  fully  revealed ;  and  it  is  a 
detail   of  God's   providential  care  over  his   people   that 


Introduction 


that  which  follows : 

By  what  thin^  their  foes  were  punished, 
By  these  they  in  their  need  were  benefited. 

The  Fifth  and  last  Discourse  is  wholly  given  up  to  trac- 
ing this  aspect  of  Divine  providence  in  the  deliverance  of 
Israel  from  Egypt.  Seven  illustrations  of  the  principle 
are  treated  at  full  length.  Water  was  turned  into  blood 
for  the  enemy ;  water  was  brought  out  of  the  solid  rock  for 
the  people  of  God.  On  the  Egyptians  came  a  plague  of 
loathly  vermin ;  dainty  quails  were  sent  to  satisfy  the 
appetite  of  the  Israelites.  While  the  enemy  were  plagued 
to  their  death  by  the  noxious  bites  of  the  locusts,  the 
people  of  God  suffered  serpent  bites  only  for  admonition, 
and  then  found  a  wondrous  salvation.  Rain  unquenched 
by  fire  destroyed  the  food  of  Egypt ;  a  rain  of  manna  fed 
the  chosen  in  the  wilderness,  sweetly  tempered  to  every 
taste.  Mystic  darkness  oppressed  the  oppressors  of  Israel ; 
for  Israel  darkness  was  illumined  by  a  pillar  of  fire.  It 
was  a  night  of  deliverance  and  song  to  the  fathers,  that 
night  which  slew  the  firstborn  of  Egypt.  To  the  chosen 
death  came  indeed  as  a  trial,  but  in  the  righteous  Phinehas 
a  champion  was  found ;  the  ungodly  ventured  a  final  folly, 
and  upon  them  came  strange  death  without  mercy. 

The  long  digressions  of  which  I  have  spoken  are 
occupied  v.'ith  kindred  themes :  how  sinners  are  punished 


^>S  Introduction 

in  that  wherein  they  have  offended ;  how  such  measured 
punishment  is  the  mercy  of  Omnipotence,  leading  even 
God's  enemies  to  repentance  ;  how  all  idolatry  is  folly,  but 
there  are  degrees  in  that  folly,  of  which  the  Egyptians  in 
their  worship  of  things  hateful  shewed  the  worst ;  the  origin 
of  idolatry  is  discussed,  and  its  spread  till  it  became  a  cor- 
ruption of  all  life.  This  matter  is  rightly  presented  in  the 
form  of  digression,  for  it  is  outside  the  strict  thought  of 
the  text.  But  discourse  and  digression  have  kindred 
themes:  the  one  celebrates  providence,  the  other  con- 
nects providence  and  God. 

When  we  survey  The  IVisdofn  of  Solomon  as  a  whole, 
two  impressions  stand  out  from  all  others.  One  is  the 
attitude  which  seems  maintained  throughout  toward  Eccle- 
siastes.  The  later  work  cannot  be  considered  a  direct 
answer  to  the  earlier,  because  considerable  part  of  the 
matter  in  each  has  nothing  to  represent  it  in  the  other. 
But  the  idea  that  the  author  of  Wisdom  has  found  a  start- 
ing point  in  his  antagonism  to  the  thoughts  of  the 
Preacher  seems  fcced  upon  us  by  the  continual  contrasts 
between  the  two  <'."orks.  Ecclesiastes  had,  without  argu- 
ment, insisted  passionately  on  the  limitation  of  life  by  the 
grave.  Wisdom,  equally  without  argument,  assumes  im- 
mortality as  underlying  its  whole  treatment  of  life.  The 
Preacher,  despairing  of  aught  beyond  death,  rested  his 
ideals  on  duty  and  happiness.  The  later  work  presents  a 
picture  of  the  ungodly  using  the  same  plea  to  justify  their 
xxxiv 


Introduction  5«^ 

life  of  evil,  and  awaking  beyond  the  grave  to  understand 
their  folly.  Ecclesiastes  fancies  Solomon  undertaking  an 
experiment  in  evil  to  see  what  it  yields  to  wisdom.  The 
other  thinker  hints  how  the  very  act  of  experiment  is  fatal 
to  the  wisdom  sought ;  and  calls  up  another  part  of 
Solomon's  life  to  bring  out,  in  the  same  imaginative 
picturing,  how  by  prayer  alone  is  the  wisdom  to  be  ob- 
tained of  God.  Ecclesiastes  had  found  the  whole  sum  of 
things  an  insoluble  mystery,  and  seeks  wisdom  elsewhere. 
His  successor  first  goes  to  God  for  wisdom,  and  with  the 
wisdom,  so  obtained  unfolds  all  things  of  nature  and  his- 
tory as  an  ordered  scheme  of  providence. 

The  other  main  point  to  note  is  the  enlarged  conception 
of  '  wisdom '  that  has  come  into  this  its  last  representative 
in  scriptural  philosophy.  In  Proverbs  wisdom  suggested 
wise  conduct,  with  an  ordered  universe  to  adore.  Eccle- 
siasticus  adores  the  wisdom  without  and  reflects  on  the 
wisdom  within ;  but  he  adds  the  history  of  God's  people, 
as  a  theme  for  that  side  of  wisdom  which  is  praise.  In 
Ecclesiastes  we  must  recognise  an  advance,  for  reflection 
has  been  extended  to  that  which  is  without.  But  in 
appearance  there  is  only  a  loss  :  for  the  works  of  nature 
and  the  course  of  events  yield  to  his  analysis  nothing  but 
vanity ;  life  only  is  left  for  v/isdom,  and  this  is  a  life 
miserably  limited  by  the  grave.  But  in  the  fourth  work 
the  discord  of  Ecclesiastes  has  been  harmonised  by  widen- 
ing the  sphere  of  wisdom.     Life  is  no  longer  insoluble 

XXXV 


-^  Introduction 

when  life  is  extended  to  a  future  beyond  death.  History 
is  added  to  the  field  which  philosophy  may  analyse,  and 
this  writer's  analysis  sees  in  it  an  harmonious  scheme  of 
righteousness  and  the  protection  of  the  righteous  people. 
Moreover,  external  nature  is  subjected  to  analysis ;  but 
this  nature  appears  no  less  a  theme  for  adoration.  In  its 
latest  presentation  Wisdom  has  recovered  the  harmony 
between  the  world  within  and  the  world  without ;  and  in 
its  enlarged  sphere  Wisdom  is  identified  with  Nature,  with 
Providence,  with  Immortality. 


The  text  followed  in  this  series  is  that  of  the  Revised 
Version,  for  the  use  of  which  I  must  express  my  obliga- 
tion to  the  University  Presses  of  Oxford  and  Cambridge. 
The  marginal  alternatives  are  often  adopted.  In  the  two 
works  included  in  this  volume  more  assistance  than  usual 
is  necessary  to  enable  the  reader  to  follow  the  argument. 
But  I  have  been  unwilling  to  break  up  the  pages  of  the 
text  by  marginal  headings,  and  have  preferred  to  transfer 
such  helps  to  a  Syllabus  (at  the  commencement  of  the 
Notes),  which  is  constructed  on  the  principle  of  represent- 
ing each  paragraph  of  the  text  by  a  paragraph  of  the 
Syllabus.  The  prospectus  to  the  Modern  Reader's  Bible 
promises  brief  notes  :  I  have,  I  fear,  departed  from  the 
spirit  of  the  announcement  in  the  present  case.  But  the 
xxxvi 


Introduction  ^ 

peculiarity  of  the  two  works  seemed  to  demand  it ;  and 
my  notes  here  as  elsewhere  confine  themselves  to  making 
the  works  clear  to  the  literary  reader,  without  attempting 
detailed  or  critical  exegesis. 

xxxvii 


Ecclesiastes 


The  Preacher 


ECCLESIASTES 

A    SUITE   OF  ESSAYS    V/ITH  MISCELLANEA 

PAGE 

Prologue  :  All  is  Vanity 5 

Essay  I   (in  the  form  of  a  Dramatic  Monologue)  :  Solo- 
mon's Search  for  Wisdom  .....         9 

Essay  II  (with  a  Sonnet)  :  The  Philosophy  of  Times  and 

Seasons    .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .  •       ^5 

Miscellanea     .         .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .21 

Essay  III :  The  Vanity  of  Desire    .         .         .         .         -27 

Miscellanea     .........       33 

Essay  IV :  The  Search  for  V/isdom,  with  Notes  by  the 

^Vay 39 

Miscellanea     .........       47 

Essay  V  (with  a  Sonnet)  :  Life  as  a  Joy  shadowed  by  the 

Judgment  .         .         .  .         .       '  .         .         '55 

Epilogue  :  All  is  Vanity  —  fear  God        •        •         •        •       59 

3 


Prologue 

ALL  IS    VANITY 


Vanity  of  vanities,  saith  the  Preacher,  vanity  of  vanities, 
all  is  vanity.  What  profit  hath  man  of  all  his  labour 
wherein  he  laboureth  under  the  sun? 

One  generation  goeth,  and  another  generation  coraeth  ; 
and  the  earth  abideth  for  ever.  The  sun  also  ariseth,  and 
the  sun  goeth  down,  and  hasteth  to  his  place  where  he 
ariseth.  The  wind  goeth  toward  the  south,  and  turneth 
about  unto  the  north  ;  it  turneth  about  continually  in  its 
course,  and  tlie  wind  re  turneth  again  to  its  circuits.  Ail 
the  rivers  run  into  the  sea,  yet  the  sea  is  not  full ;  unto  the 
place  whither  the  rivers  go,  thither  they  go  again. 

All  things  are  full  of  weariness,  man  cannot  utter  it :  the 
eye  is  not  satisfied  with  seeing,  nor  the  ear  filied  with 
hearing. 

That  which  hath  been  is  that  vrhich  shall  be  :  and  that 
which  hath  been  done  is  that  which  shall  be  done :  and 
there  is  no  new  thing  under  the  sun.  Is  there  a  thing 
whereof  men  may  say.  See,  this  is  new?  it  hath  been 
already,  in  the  ages  which  were  before  us. 

There  is  no  remembrance  of  the  former  generations ; 
neither  shall  there  be  any  remembrance  of  the  latter  gen- 
erations that  are  to  come  among  those  that  shall  come 
after. 

7 


Essay  I 

in  the  form  of  a  Dramatic  Monologue 
SOLOMON'S  SEARCH  FOR   WISDOM 


"  I  the  Preacher  was  king  over  Israel  in  Jerusalem.  And 
"  I  applied  my  heart  to  seek  and  to  search  out  by  wisdom 
"  concerning  all  that  is  done  under  heaven :  it  is  a  sore 
"travail  that  God  hath  given  to  the  sons  of  men  to  be 
"exercised  therev/ith.  I  have  seen  all  the  works  that  are 
"  done  under  the  sun ;  and,  behold,  all  is  vanity,  and  a 
"  striving  after  wind.  That  which  is  crooked  cannot  be 
"  made  straight,  and  that  which  is  wanting  cannot  be  num- 
"  bered.  I  communed  with  mine  own  heart,  saying,  Lo,  I 
"  have  gotten  me  great  wisdom  above  all  that  were  before 
"  me  in  Jerusalem  ;  yea,  my  heart  hath  had  great  experience 
"of  wisdom  and  knowledge.  And  I  applied  my  heart  to 
"  know  wisdom,  and  to  know  madness  and  folly :  I  per- 
"ceived  that  this  also  was  a  striving  after  wind.  For  in 
"'much  wisdom  is  much  grief:  and  he  that  increaseth 
"knowledge  increaseth  sorrow. 

"  I  said  in  mine  heart.  Go  to  now.  I  v/iil  prove  thee  with 
"mirth:  therefore  enjov  pleasure.  And,  behold,  this  also 
"was  vanity.  I  said  of  laughter,  it  is  mad  ;  and  of  mirth, 
"what  doeth  it?  I  searched  in  mine  heart  how  to  cheer 
"my  flesh  with  wine  —  mine  heart  yet  guiding  me  with 
"  wisdom  —  and  how  to  lay  hold  on  folly,  till  I  might  see 
"  what  it  was  good  for  the  sons  of  men  that  they  should  do 


Essay  I  ^  Ecclesiastes 

"under  the  heaven  all  the  days  of  their  life.  I  made  me 
"  great  works ;  I  builded  me  houses ;  I  planted  me  vine- 
"  yards  ;  I  made  me  gardens  and  parks,  and  I  planted  trees 
"  in  them  of  all  kinds  of  fruit ;  I  made  me  pools  of  water, 
"  to  water  therefrom  the  forest  where  trees  were  reared.  I 
"  bought  menservants  and  maidens,  and  had  servants  born 
"  in  my  house ;  also  I  had  great  possessions  of  herds  and 
"flocks,  above  all  that  were  before  me  in  Jerusalem;  I 
"  gathered  me  also  silver  and  gold,  and  the  peculiar  treas- 
"  ure  of  kings  and  of  the  provinces.  I  gat  me  men  singers 
"  and  women  singers,  and  the  delights  of  the  sons  of  men, 
"  concubines  very  many.  So  I  was  great,  and  increased 
"  more  than  all  that  were  before  me  in  Jerusalem  :  also  my 
"  wisdom  remained  with  me.  And  whatsoever  mine  eyes 
"  desired  I  kept  not  from  them ;  I  v/ithheld  not  my  heart 
"  from  any  joy :  for  my  heart  rejoiced  because  of  all  my 
"  labour,  and  this  was  my  portion  from  all  my  labour. 
'•  Then  I  looked  on  all  the  works  that  my  hands  had 
"  wrought,  and  on  the  labour  that  I  had  laboured  to  do : 
"  and,  behold,  all  was  vanity  and  a  striving  after  wind,  and 
"  there  was  no  profit  under  the  sun. 

"  And  I  turned  myself  to  behold  wisdom,  and  madness 
"  and  folly.  For  what  can  the  man  do  that  cometh  after  the 
"king?  even  that  which  hath  been  already  done.  Then  I 
"  saw  that  wisdom  excelleth  folly  as  far  as  light  excelleth 
"  darkness :  the  wise  man's  eyes  are  in  his  head,  and  the 
"  fool  walketh  in  darkness :  and  yet  I  perceived  that  one 


or  The   Preacher  B^  Essay  I 

"event  happeneth  to  them  all.  Then  said  I  in  my  heart, 
"  As  it  happeneth  to  the  fool,  so  will  it  happen  even  to 
"  me  ;  and  why  was  I  then  more  wise?  Then  I  said  in  my 
"  heart,  that  this  also  was  vanity.  For  of  the  wise  man, 
"  even  as  of  the  fool,  there  is  no  remembrance  for  ever ; 
"  seeing  that  in  the  days  to  come  all  will  have  been  already 
"forgotten.  And  how  doth  the  wise  man  die  even  as  the 
"  fool !  So  I  hated  life  ;  because  the  work  that  is  wrought 
"  under  the  sun  was  grievous  unto  me :  for  all  is  vanity 
"  and  a  striving  after  wind. 

"  And  I  hated  all  my  labour  wherein  I  laboured  under 
"  the  sun :  seeing  that  I  must  leave  it  unto  the  man  that 
"shall  be  after  me,  and  who  knoweth  whether  he  shall  be 
"  a  wise  man  or  a  fool  ?  yet  shall  he  have  rule  over  all  my 
"labour  wherein  I  have  laboured,  and  wherein  I  have 
"shewed  wisdom  under  the  sun.  This  also  is  vanity. 
"  Therefore  I  turned  about  to  cause  my  heart  to  despair 
"  concerning  all  the  labour  wherein  I  had  laboured  under 
"  the  sun.  For  there  is  a  man  whose  labour  is  with  wisdom, 
"  and  with  knowledge,  and  with  skilfulness ;  yet  to  a  man 
"  that  hath  not  laboured  therein  shall  he  leave  it  for  his 
"  portion.  This  also  is  vanity  and  a  great  evil.  For  what 
"  hath  a  man  of  all  his  labour,  and  of  the  striving  of  his 
"  heart  wherein  he  laboureth  under  the  sun  ?  For  all  his 
"  days  are  but  sorrows,  and  his  travail  is  grief ;  yea,  even  in 
"^the  night  his  heart  taketh  no  rest.     This  also  is  vanity. 

"  There  is  nothing  better  for  a  man  than  that  he  should 


Essay  I  ->8Ecclesiastes 

"eat  and  drink,  and  make  his  soul  enjoy  good  in  his 
"labour.  This  also  I  saw,  that  it  is  from  the  hand  of 
"God.  For  who  can  eat,  or  who  can  have  enjoyment 
"  more  than  I  ?  For  to  the  man  that  pleaseth  him  God 
"giveth  wisdom,  and  knowledge,  and  joy:  but  to  the 
"  sinner  he  giveth  travail,  to  gather  and  to  heap  up,  that 
"he  may  give  to  him  that  pleaseth  God.  This  also  is 
"  vanity  and  a  striving  after  wind." 
14 


Essay  II 

THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  TIMES  AND  SEASONS 


To  every  thing  there  is  a  season, 

And  a  time  to  every  purpose  under  the  heaven : 

A  time  to  be  born, 

And  a  time  to  die  ; 
A  time  to  plant, 

And  a  time  to  pluck  up  that  which  is  planted ; 


A  time  to  kill, 
And  a  time  to  heal ; 

A  time  to  break  down. 
And  a  time  to  build  up ; 

A  time  to  weep, 
And  a  time  to  laugh ; 

A  time  to  mourn, 
And  a  time  to  dance ; 

A  time  to  cast  away  stones, 
And  a  time  to  gather  stones  together; 
A  time  to  embrace, 

And  a  time  to  refrain  from  embracing; 

A  time  to  seek, 

And  a  time  to  lose ; 
A  time  to  keep. 

And  a  time  to  cast  away ; 

17 


Essay  II  -JSEcclesiastes 

A  time  to  rend, 
And  a  time  to  sew ; 

A  time  to  keep  silence, 
And  a  time  to  speak ; 

A  time  to  love, 

And  a  time  to  hate ; 

A  time  for  war, 
And  a  time  for  peace. 

What  profit  hath  he  that  worketh  in  that  wherein  he 
laboureth?  I  have  seen  the  travail  which  God  hath  given 
to  the  sons  of  men  to  be  exercised  therewith.  He  hath 
made  everything  beautiful  in  its  time :  also,  he  hath  set 
the  world  in  their  heart,  yet  so  that  man  cannot  find  out 
the  work  that  God  hath  done  from  the  beginning  even 
to  the  end. 

I  know  that  there  is  nothing  better  for  them,  than  to  re- 
joice, and  to  get  good  so  long  as  they  live :  and  also,  that 
every  man  should  eat  and  drink,  and  enjoy  good  in  all  his 
labour,  is  the  gift  of  God.  I  know  that,  whatsoever  God 
doeth,  it  shall  be  for  ever :  nothing  can  be  put  to  it,  nor 
anything  taken  from  it :  and  God  hath  done  it,  that  men 
should  fear  before  him.  That  which  is  hath  been  already  ; 
and  that  which  is  to  be  hath  already  been :  and  God 
seeketh  again  that  which  is  passed  away. 

And  moreover  I  saw  under  the  sun,  in  the  place  of 
Judgement  that  wickedness  was  there ;  and  in  the  place  of 

i8 


or  The   Preacher  S<-  Essay  II 

righteousness,  that  wickedness  was  there.  —  I  said  in  mine 
heart,  God  shall  judge  the  righteous  and  the  wicked :  for 
there  is  a  time  there  for  every  purpose  and  for  every  work. 
—  I  said  in  mine  heart,  It  is  because  of  the  sons  of  men, 
that  God  may  prove  them,  and  that  they  may  see  that 
they  themselves  are  but  as  beasts.  For  that  which  be- 
falleth  the  sons  of  men  befalleth  beasts ;  even  one  thing 
befalleth  them.  As  the  one  dieth,  so  dieth  the  other ;  yea, 
they  have  all  one  breath ;  and  man  hath  no  pre-eminence 
above  the  beasts  :  for  all  is  vanity.  All  go  unto  one  place  ; 
all  are  of  the  dust,  and  all  turn  to  dust  again.  Who 
knoweth  the  spirit  of  man  whether  it  goeth  upward,  and 
the  spirit  of  the  beast  whether  it  goeth  downward  to  the 
earth?  Wherefore  I  saw  that  there  is  nothing  better, 
than  that  a  man  should  rejoice  in  his  works ;  for  that  is 
his  portion :  for  who  shall  bring  him  back  to  see  what 
shall  be  after  him  ? 

Then  I  returned  and  saw  all  the  oppressions  that  are 
done  under  the  sun  :  and  behold,  the  tears  of  such  as  were 
oppressed,  and  they  had  no  comforter ;  and  on  the  side  of 
their  oppressors  there  was  power,  but  they  had  no  com- 
forter. Wherefore  I  praised  the  dead  which  are  already 
dead  more  than  the  living  which  are  yet  alive ;  yea,  better 
than  them  both  did  I  esteem  him  which  hath  not  yet  been, 
who  hath  not  seen  the  evil  work  that  is  done  under  the 
sun.  Then  I  saw  all  labour  and  every  skilful  work,  that 
it  Cometh  of  a  man's  rivalry  v/ith  his  neighbour:  this  also 
19 


Essay  II  -^Ecclesiastes 

is  vanity  and  a  striving  after  wind.  —  The  fool  foldeth  his 
hands  together,  and  eateth  his  own  flesh.  —  Better  is  an 
handful  of  quietness,  than  two  handfuls  of  labour  and 
striving  after  wind.  Then  I  returned  and  saw  vanity 
under  the  sun.  There  is  one  that  is  alone,  and  he  hath 
not  a  second ;  yea,  he  hath  neither  son  nor  brother ;  yet 
is  there  no  end  of  all  his  labour,  neither  are  his  eyes 
satisfied  with  riches.  For  whom  then,  saith  he,  do  I 
labour,  and  deprive  my  soul  of  good  ?  This  also  is  vanity, 
yea,  it  is  a  sore  travail. 

20 


Miscellanea 


A  Maxim 

Two  are  better  than  one:  because  they  have  a  good 
reward  for  their  labour.  For  if  they  fall,  the  one  will  lift 
up  his  fellow :  but  woe  to  him  that  is  alone  when  he 
falleth,  and  hath  not  another  to  lift  him  up.  Again,  if 
two  lie  together,  then  they  have  warmth  :  but  how  can 
one  be  warm  alone  ?  And  if  a  man  prevail  against  him 
that  is  alone,  two  shall  withstand  him ;  and  a  threefold 
cord  is  not  quickly  broken. 


U 

A  Maxim 

Better  is  a  poor  and  wise  youth 
Than  an  old  and  foolish  king, 

who  knoweth  not  how  to  receive  admonition  any  more. 
For  out  of  prison  he  came  forth  to  be  king ;  yea,  even  in 
his  kingdom  he  was  born  poor.  I  saw  all  the  living  which 
walk  under  the  sun,  that  they  were  with  the  youth,  the 


Miscellanea  ii,  Hi  -59  Ecclesiastes 

second,  that  stood  up  in  his  stead.  There  was  no  end  of 
all  the  people,  even  of  all  them  over  whom  he  was :  3'et 
they  that  come  after  shall  not  rejoice  in  him.  Surely  this 
also  is  vanity  and  a  striving  after  wind. 


lU 

A  Maxwi 

Keep  thy  foot  when  thou  goest  to  the  house  of  God:  for 
to  draw  nigh  to  hear  is  better  than  to  give  the  sacrifice  of 
fools :  for  they  know  not  that  they  do  evil.  Be  not  rash 
with  thy  mouth,  and  let  not  thine  heart  be  hasty  to  utter 
anything  before  God ;  for  God  is  in  heaven,  and  thou  upon 
earth,  therefore  let  thy  words  be  few.  For  a  dream  cometh 
with  a  multitude  of  business;  and  a  fool's  voice  with  a 
multitude  of  words.  When  thou  vowest  a  vow  unto  God, 
defer  not  to  pay  it ;  for  he  hath  no  pleasure  in  fools  :  pay 
that  which  thou  vowest.  Better  is  it  that  thou  shouldest 
not  vow,  than  that  thou  shouldest  vow  and  not  pay.  Suffer 
not  thy  mouth  to  cause  thy  flesh  to  sin ;  neither  say  thou 
before  the  angel,  that  it  was  an  error :  wherefore  should 
God  be  angry  at  thy  voice,  and  destroy  the  work  of  thine 
hands?  For  thus  it  cometh  to  pass  through  the  multitude 
of  dreams  and  vanities  and  many  words :  but  fear  thou 
God. 

24 


or  The   Preacher  B^  Miscellanea  iv 

iv 

A  Maxim 

If  thou  seest  the  oppression  of  the  poor,  and  the  violent 
taking  away  of  judgement  and  justice  in  a  province,  marvel 
not  at  the  matter  :  for 

One  higher  than  the  high  regardeth 
And  there  be  higher  than  they. 

But  the  profit  of  a  land  every  way  is  a  king  that  makcth 
himself  servant  to  the  field. 

25 


Essay  III 

THE   VANITY  OF  DESIRE 


He  that  loveth  silver  shall  not  be  satisfied  with  silver ; 
nor  he  that  loveth  abundance  with  increase  :  this  also  is 
vanity.  When  goods  increase,  they  are  increased  that  eat 
them  :  and  what  advantage  is  there  to  the  owner  thereof, 
saving  the  beholding  of  them  with  his  eyes  ? 

The  sleep  of  a  labouring  man  is  sweet,  whether  he  eat 
little  or  much :  but  the  fulness  of  the  rich  will  not  suffer 
him  to  sleep. 

There  is  a  grievous  evil  which  I  have  seen  under  the 
sun,  namely,  riches  kept  by  the  owner  thereof  to  his  hurt ; 
and  those  riches  perish  by  evil  adventure  ;  and  if  he  hath 
begotten  a  son,  there  is  nothing  in  his  hand.  As  he  came 
forth  of  his  mother's  womb,  naked  shall  he  go  again  as  he 
came,  and  shall  take  nothing  for  his  labour,  which  he  may 
carry  away  in  his  hand.  And  this  also  is  a  grievous  evil, 
that  in  all  points  as  he  came,  so  shall  he  go :  and  what 
profit  hath  he  that  he  laboureth  for  the  wind?  All  his 
days  also  he  eateth  in  darkness,  and  he  is  sore  vexed  and 
hath  sickness  and  wrath. 

Behold,  that  which  I  have  seen  to  be  good  and  to  be 

comely  is  for  one  to  eat  and  to  drink,  and  to  enjoy  good  in 

all  his  labour,  wherein  he  laboureth  under  the  sun,  all  the 

days  of  his  life  which  God  hath  given  him :  for  this  is  his 

•29 


Essay  III  ^  Ecclesiastes 

portion.  Every  man  also  to  whom  God  hath  given  riches 
and  wealth,  and  hath  given  him  power  to  eat  thereof,  and 
to  take  his  portion,  and  to  rejoice  in  his  labour :  this  is 
the  gift  of  God.  For  he  shall  not  much  remember  the 
days  of  his  life  ;  because  God  answereth  him  in  the  joy  of 
his  heart.  There  is  an  evil  which  I  have  seen  under  the 
sun,  and  it  is  heavy  upon  men :  a  man  to  whom  God 
giveth  riches,  wealth,  and  honour,  so  that  he  lacketh 
nothing  for  his  soul  of  all  that  he  desireth,  yet  God  giveth 
him  not  power  to  eat  thereof,  but  a  stranger  eateth  it :  this 
is  vanity,  and  it  is  an  evil  disease.  If  a  man  beget  an 
hundred  children,  and  live  many  years,  so  that  the  days  of 
his  years  be  many,  but  his  soul  be  not  filled  with  good, 
and  moreover  he  have  no  burial :  I  say,  that  an  untimely 
birth  is  better  than  he.  For  it  cometh  in  vanity,  and 
departeth  in  darkness,  and  the  name  thereof  is  covered 
wdth  darkness ;  moreover  it  hath  not  seen  the  sun  nor 
known  it:  this  hath  rest  rather  than  the  other  —  yea, 
though  he  live  a  thousand  years  twice  told,  and  yet  enjoy 
no  good :  do  not  all  go  to  one  place? 

All  the  labour  of  man  is  for  his  mouth,  and  yet  the 
appetite  is  not  filled.  For  what  advantage  hath  the  wise 
man  more  than  the  fool,  or  the  poor  man  that  hath  under- 
standing, in  walking  before  the  living  ?  Better  is  the  sight 
of  the  eyes  than  the  wandering  of  the  desire :  this  also  is 
vanity  and  a  striving  after  wind.  Whatsoever  he  be,  his 
name  was  given  him  long  ago,  and  it  is  known  that  he  is 


or  The   Preacher  B^  Essay  III 

MAN :  neither  can  he  contend  with  him  that  is  mightier 
than  he. 

Seeing  there  be  many  things  that  increase  vanity,  what 
is  man  the  better?  For  who  Icnoweth  what  is  good  for 
man  in  his  hfe,  all  the  days  of  his  vain  life  which  he 
spendeth  as  a  shadow?  for  who  can  tell  a  man  what  shall 
be  after  him  under  the  sun  ? 

31 


Miscellanea 


A  Maxim 

A  good  name  is  better  than  precious  ointment; 
And  the  day  of  death  than  the  day  of  one's  birth. 

It  is  better  to  go  to  the  house  of  mourning  than  to  go  to 
the  house  of  feasting :  for  that  is  the  end  of  all  men,  and 
the  living  will  lay  it  to  his  heart.  Sorrow  is  better  than 
laughter :  for  by  the  sadness  of  the  countenance  the  heart 
is  made  glad.  The  heart  of  the  wise  is  in  the  house  of 
mourning,  but  the  heart  of  fools  is  in  the  house  of  mirth. 
It  is  better  to  hear  the  rebuke  of  the  wise,  than  for  a  man 
to  hear  the  song  of  fools.  For  as  the  crackling  of  thorns 
under  a  pot,  so  is  the  laughter  of  the  fool.  This  also  is 
vanity. 


VI 


Surely  extortion  maketh  a  wise  man  foolish ; 
And  a  gift  destroyeth  the  understanding. 
35 


Miscellanea  vii-ix  ^  Ecclesiastes 

vii 

A  Maxim 

Better  is  the  end  of  a  thing  than  the  beginning  thereof  : 
And  the  patient  in  spirit  is  better  than  the  proud  in  spirit. 

Be  not  hasty  in  thy  spirit  to  be  angry  :  for  anger  resteth 
in  the  bosom  of  fools.  Say  not  thou,  What  is  the  cause 
that  the  former  days  were  better  than  these  ?  for  thou  dost 
not  inquire  wisely  concerning  this. 

viii 

A  Maxim 

Wisdom  is  as  good  as  an  i7iherita7ice :  yea,  more  excel- 
lent is  it  for  them  that  see  the  sun.  For  wisdom  is  a 
defence,  even  as  money  is  a  defence :  but  the  excellency  of 
knowledge  is  that  wisdom  preserveth  the  life  of  him  that 
hath  it. 

ix 

A  Maxim 

Consider  the  work  of  God  : 

For  who  can  make  that  straight  which  he  hath  made  crooked? 

In  the  day  of  prosperity  be  joyful,  and  in  the  day  of 
adversity  consider :  God  hath  even  made  the  one  side  by 
36 


or  The  Preacher  8«-  Miscellanea  x,  xi 

side  with  the  other,  to  the  end  that  man  should  not  find 
out  anything  that  shall  be  after  him. 


A  Maxi?n 

All  this  have  I  seen  in  the  days  of  my  vanity :  there  is 
a  righteous  man  that  perisheth  in  his  righteousness,  and 
there  is  a  wicked  man  that  prolongeth  his  life  in  his  evii- 

doing. 

Be  not  righteous  over  much  ; 
Neither  make  thyself  over  wise  : 

WTiy  shouldest  thou  destroy  thyselP 
Be  not  over  much  wicked ; 
Neither  be  thou  fooHsh : 
Why  shouldest  thou  die  before  thy  time? 

It  is  good  that  thou  shouldest  take  hold  of  this ;  yea,  also 
from  that  withdraw  not  thine  hand  :  for  he  that  feareth  God 
shall  come  forth  of  them  all. 


Zl 

A  Maxim 

Wisdom  is  a  strength  to  the  wise  man 
More  than  ten  rulers  which  are  in  a  city. 

For  there  is  not  a  righteous  man  upon  earth  that  doeth 
good  and  sinneth  not.     Also  take  not  heed  unto  all  words 
37 


Miscellanea  xi  ^  Ecclesiastes 

that  are  spoken,  lest  thou  hear  thy  servant  curse  thee ;  for 
oftentimes  also  thine  own  heart  knoweth  that  thou  thyself 
likewise  hast  cursed  others. 

38 


I 


Essay  IV 

THE  SEARCH  FOR    WISDOM 

WITH  NOTES  BY  THE   WAY 


All  this  have  I  proved  in  wisdom.  I  said,  I  will  be  wise, 
but  it  was  far  from  me  :  that  which  is  is  far  off,  and  exceed- 
ing deep:  who  can  find  it  out?  I  turned  about,  and  my 
heart  was  set  to  know  and  to  search  out,  and  to  seek  wis- 
dom and  the  reason  of  things,  and  to  know  that  wickedness 
is  folly,  and  that  foolishness  is  madness. 

And  I  find  a  thing  more  bitter  than  death :  even  the 
woman  whose  heart  is  snares  and  nets,  and  her  hands  as 
bands  ;  whoso  pleaseth  God  shall  escape  from  her,  but  the 
sinner  shall  be  taken  by  her. 

Behold,  this  have  I  found,  saith  the  Preacher,  laying  one 
thing  to  another,  to  find  out  the  account,  which  my  soul 
still  seeketh,  but  I  have  not  found :  one  man  among  a 
tliousand  have  I  found  ;  but  a  woman  among  all  those  have 
I  not  found. 

Behold,  this  only  have  I  found:  that  God  made  man 
upright,  but  they  have  sought  out  many  inventions. 

Who  is  as  the  wise  man?  and  who  knoweth  the  inter- 
pretation of  a  thing?  A  man's  wisdom  maketh  his  face  to 
shine,  and  the  hardness  of  his  face  is  changed. 

I  counsel  thee,  Keep  the  king's  command :  and  that  in 
regard  of  the  oath  of  God.  Be  not  hasty  to  go  out  of  his 
41 


Essay  IV  ^Ecclesiastes 

presence  ;  persist  not  in  an  evil  thing :  for  he  doeth  what- 
soever pleaseth  him.     Because 

The  king's  word  hath  power ; 

And  who  may  say  unto  him,  What  doest  thou  ? 

Whoso  keepeth  the  commandment  shall  know  no  evil 
thing ;  and  a  wise  man's  heart  discerneth  time  and  judge- 
ment. For  to  every  purpose  there  is  a  time  and  judge- 
ment ;  because  the  misery  of  man  is  great  upon  him,  for 
he  knoweth  not  that  which  shall  be.  For  who  can  tell 
him  how  it  shall  be?  There  is  no  man  that  hath  power 
over  the  spirit  to  retain  the  spirit,  neither  hath  he  power 
over  the  day  of  death ;  and  there  is  no  discharge  in  that 
war.  Neither  shall  wickedness  deliver  him  that  is  given 
to  it. 

All  this  have  I  seen,  and  applied  my  heart  unto  every 
work  that  is  done  under  the  sun.  There  is  a  time  wherein 
one  man  hath  power  over  another  to  his  hurt :  and  withal 
I  saw  the  wicked  buried,  and  they  came  to  the  grave ;  and 
they  that  had  done  right  went  away  from  the  holy  place, 
and  were  forgotten  in  the  city.  This  also  is  vanity.  Be- 
cause sentence  against  an  evil  work  is  not  executed  speed- 
ily, therefore  the  heart  of  the  sons  of  men  is  fully  set  in 
them  to  do  evil.  Though  a  sinner  do  evil  an  hundred 
times,  and  prolong  his  days,  yet  surely  I  know  that  it  shall 
be  well  with  them  that  fear  God,  which  fear  before  him : 
but  it  shall  not  be  well  with  the  wicked,  neither  shall  he 
42 


or  The   Preacher  ^  Essay  IV 


prolong  his  days,  which  are  as  a  shadow ;  because  he 
feareth  not  before  God. 

There  is  a  vanity  which  is  done  upon  the  earth :  that 
there  be  righteous  men  unto  whom  it  happeneth  accord- 
ing to  the  work  of  the  wicked ;  again,  there  be  wicked 
men,  to  whom  it  happeneth  according  to  the  work  of  the 
righteous.  I  said  that  this  also  is  vanity.  Then  I  com- 
mended mirth,  because  a  man  hath  no  better  thing  under 
the  sun,  than  to  eat  and  to  drink  and  to  be  merry ;  and 
that  this  should  accompany  him  in  his  labour  all  the  days 
of  his  life  which  God  hath  given  him  under  the  sun. 

When  I  applied  mine  heart  to  know  wisdom,  and  to  see 
the  business  that  is  done  upon  the  earth  —  for  also  there 
is  that  neither  day  nor  night  seeth  sleep  with  his  eyes  — 
then  I  beheld  all  the  work  of  God,  that  man  cannot  find 
out  the  work  that  is  done  under  the  sun  :  because  however 
much  a  man  labour  to  seek  it  out,  yet  he  shall  not  find 
it ;  yea,  moreover,  though  a  wise  man  think  to  know  it, 
yet  shall  he  not  be  able  to  find  it.  For  all  this  I  laid  to 
my  heart,  even  to  explore  all  this  :  that  the  righteous  and 
the  wise,  and  their  works,  are  in  the  hand  of  God  ;  whether 
it  be  love  or  hatred,  man  knoweth  it  not,  all  is  before  them. 
All  things  come  alike  to  a^l :  there  is  one  event  to  the 
righteous  and  to  the  wicked ;  to  the  good  and  to  the  clean 
and  to  the  unclean  ;  to  him  that  sacrificeth  and  to  him  that 
sacrificeth  not :  as  is  the  good,  so  is  the  sinner ;  and  he 
that  sweareth,  as  he  that  feareth  an  oath.  This  is  an  evil 
43 


Essay  IV  -sg  Ecclesiastes 

in  all  that  is  done  under  the  sun,  that  there  is  one  event 
unto  all.  Yea  also,  the  heart  of  the  sons  of  men  is  full  of 
evil,  and  madness  is  in  their  heart  while  they  live,  and 
after  that  they  go  to  the  dead.  For  to  him  that  is  joined 
with  all  the  living  there  is  hope  —  for  a  living  dog  is  better 
than  a  dead  lion  —  for  the  living  know  that  they  shall  die : 
but  the  dead  know  not  anything,  neither  have  they  any 
more  a  rew^ard.  For  the  memory  of  them  is  forgotten : 
as  well  their  love  as  their  hatred  and  their  envy  is  now 
perished ;  neither  have  they  any  more  a  portion  for  ever 
in  anything  that  is  done  under  the  sun. 

Go  thy  way,  eat  thy  bread  with  joy,  and  drink  thy  wine 
with  a  merry  heart ;  for  God  hath  already  accepted  thy 
works.  Let  thy  garments  be  always  white  ;  and  let  not  thy 
head  lack  ointment.  Live  joyfully  with  the  wife  whom 
thou  lovest  all  the  days  of  the  life  of  thy  vanity,  which  he 
hath  given  thee  under  the  sun,  —  all  the  days  of  thy  vanity  : 
for  that  is  thy  portion  in  life,  and  in  thy  labour  wherein 
thou  labourest  under  the  sun.  Whatsoever  thy  hand  find- 
eth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy  might ;  for  there  is  no  work,  nor 
device,  nor  knowledge,  nor  wisdom,  in  the  grave  whither 
thou  goest. 

I  returned,  and  saw  under  the  sun,  that  the  race  is  not 
to  the  swift,  nor  the  battle  to  the  strong,  neither  yet  bread 
to  the  wise,  nor  yet  riches  to  men  of  understanding,  nor 
yet  favour  to  men  of  skill ;  but  time  and  chance  happeneth 
to  them  all.  For  man  also  knoweth  not  his  time:  as  the 
44 


or  The   Preacher  ^  Essay  IV 

fishes  that  are  taken  in  an  evil  net,  and  as  the  birds  that 
are  caught  in  the  snare,  even  so  are  the  sons  of  men 
snared  in  an  evil  time,  when  it  falleth  suddenly  upon 
them. 

I  have  also  seen  wisdom  under  the  sun  on  this  wise,  and 
it  seemed  great  unto  me.  There  was  a  little  city,  and  few 
men  within  it ;  and  there  came  a  great  king  against  it, 
and  besieged  it,  and  built  great  bulwarks  against  it.  Now 
there  was  found  in  it  a  poor  wise  man,  and  he  by  his 
wisdom  delivered  the  city ;  yet  no  man  remembered  that 
same  poor  man.  Then  said  I,  Wisdom  is  better  than 
strength  :  nevertheless  the  poor  man's  wisdom  is  despised, 
and  his  words  are  not  heard. 
45 


Miscellanea 


Xll 

The  words  of  the  wise  spoken  in  quiet  are  heard 
More  than  the  cry  of  him  that  ruleth  among  fools. 

xiii 

Wisdom  is  better  than  weapons  of  war : 
But  one  sinner  destroyeth  much  good. 

xiv 

Dead  flies  cause  the  ointment  of  the  perfumer  to  send 

forth  a  stinking  savour  : 
So  doth  a  little  folly  outweigh  wisdom  and  honour. 

XV 

A  Maxim 

A  wise  man's  heart  is  at  his  right  hand ; 
But  a  fool's  heart  is  at  his  left. 

Yea  also,  when  the  fool  walketh  by  the  way,  his  under- 
standing faileth  him,  and  he  saith  to  every  one  that  he 
is  a  fool. 

E  49 


Miscellanea  xvi-xix  -^  EcclesiaLtes 

xvi 

If  the  spirit  of  the  ruler  rise  up  against  thee,  leave  not 

thy  place  ; 
For  yielding  allay eth  great  offences. 


XVll 

A  Maxi7n 

There  is  an  evil  which  I  have  seen  under  the  sun,  as  it 
were  an  error  which  proceedeth  from  the  ruler : 

Folly  is  set  in  great  dignity, 
And  the  rich  sit  in  low  place. 

I  have  seen  servants  upon  horses,  and  princes  walking  as 
servants  upon  the  earth. 

xviii 

He  that  diggeth  a  pit  shall  fall  into  it ; 
And  whoso  breaketh  through  a  fence,  a  serpent  shall  bite 
him. 

xix 

Whoso  heweth  out  stones  shall  be  hurt  therewith ; 

And  he  that  cleaveth  wood  is  endangered  thereby. 

5° 


or  The   Preacher  £«-  Miscellanea  xx-xxiii 

XX 

A  71  Epigram 

If  the  iron  be  blunt. 

And  one  do  not  whet  the  edge, 
Then  must  he  put  to  more  strength  : 

But  wisdom  is  profitable  to  direct. 

xxi 

If  the  serpent  bite  before  it  be  charmed, 
Then  is  there  no  advantage  in  the  charmer. 

xxii 

A  Maxim 

The  words  of  a  wise  man's  mouth  are  gracious ; 
But  the  Ups  of  a  fool  will  swallow  up  himself. 

The  beginning  of  the  words  of  his  mouth  is  foolishness ; 
and  the  end  of  his  talk  is  mischievous  madness.  A  fool 
also  multiplieth  words :  yet  man  knoweth  not  what  shall 
be ;  and  that  which  shall  be  after  him,  who  can  tell  him? 

xxiii 

The  labour  of  fools  wearieth  every  one  of  them ; 
For  he  knoweth  not  how  to  go  to  the  city. 


Miscellanea  xxiv-xxvii  ^  Ecclesiastes 

xxiv 

An  Epigram 

Woe  to  thee,  O  land,  when  thy  king  is  a  child, 
And  thy  princes  eat  in  the  morning  ! 

Happy  art  thou,  O  land,  when  thy  king  is  the  son 
of  nobles, 

And  thy  princes  eat  in  due  season. 

For  strength  and  not  for  drunkenness. 

XXV 
By  slothfulness  the  roof  sinketh  in ; 
And  through  idleness  of  the  hands  the  house  leaketh. 

xxvi 

A  feast  is  made  for  laughter, 
And  wine  maketh  glad  the  life : 
And  money  answereth  all  things. 

xxvii 

An  Epigram 

Curse  not  the  king,  no,  not  in  thy  thought ; 

And  curse  not  the  rich  in  thy  bedchamber : 
For  a  bird  of  the  air  shall  carry  the  voice. 

And  that  which  hath  wings  shall  tell  the  matter. 
52 


or  The   Preacher  ^  Miscellanea  xxviii-xxxii 

xxviii 

Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters  : 

For  thou  shalt  find  it  after  many  days. 

xxix 

Divide  a  portion  into  seven, 
Yea,  even  into  eight : 
For  thou  knowest  not  what  evil  shall  be  upon  the  earth. 

XXX 

A71  Epigram 

If  the  clouds  be  full  of  rain, 
They  empty  themselves  upon  the  earth  : 

And  if  a  tree  fall  toward  the  south  or  toward  the  north, 
In  the  place  where  the  tree  falleth,  there  shall  it  be. 

xxxi 

He  that  observeth  the  wind  shall  not  sow ; 
And  he  that  regardeth  the  clouds  shall  not  reap. 

xxxii 

As  thou  knowest  not  what  is  the  way  of  the  wind, 
Nor  how  the  bones  do  grow  in  the  womb  of  her  that 
is  with  child  : 
Even  so  thou  knowest  not  the  work  of  God  who  doeth  alh 
S3 


Miscellanea  xxxiii  -^  Ecclesiastes 

xxxiii 

A  Maxim 

In  the  morning  sow  thy  seed, 

And  in  the  evening  withhold  not  thine  hand; 

for  thou  knowest  not  which  shall  prosper,  whether  this  o/ 
that,  or  whether  they  both  shall  be  alike  good. 

54 


Essay  V 

LIFE  AS  A   JOY  SHADOWED  BY  THE 
JUDGMENT 


Truly  the  light  is  sweet,  and  a  pleasant  thing  it  is  for 
the  eyes  to  behold  the  sun.  Yea,  if  a  man  live  many 
years,  let  him  rejoice  in  them  all ;  and  remember  the  days 
of  darkness,  for  they  shall  be  many.  All  that  cometh  is 
vanity.  Rejoice,  O  young  man,  in  thy  youth  ;  and  let  thy 
heart  cheer  thee  in  the  days  of  thy  youth,  and  walk  in  the 
ways  of  thine  heart,  and  in  the  sight  of  thine  eyes :  but 
know  thou,  that  for  all  these  things  God  will  bring  thee 
into  judgement.  Therefore  remove  sorrow  from  thy  heart, 
and  put  away  evil  from  thy  flesh  :  for  youth  and  the  prime 
of  life  are  vanity. 

The  Coming  of  the  Evil  Days 

A  Sonjiet 
Remember  also  thy  Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth : 

Or  ever  the  evil  days  come, 
And  the  years  draw  nigh, 

When  thou  shalt  say,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  them : 

Or  ever  the  sun. 

And  the  light, 

And  the  moon, 

And  the  stars. 
Be  darkened. 

And  the  clouds  return  after  the  rain  : 
57 


Essay  V  -^eEcclesiastes 

In  the  day  when  the  keepers  of  the  house  shall  tremble, 

And  the  strong  men  shall  bow  themselves, 

And  the  grinders  cease  because  they  are  few, 

And  those  that  look  out  of  the  windows  be  darkened, 

And  the  doors  shall  be  shut  in  the  street ; 

When  the  sound  of  the  grinding  is  low, 

And  one  shall  rise  up  at  the  voice  of  a  bird, 

And  all  the  daughters  of  music  shall  be  brought  low; 

Yea,  they  shall  be  afraid  of  that  which  is  high, 
And  terrors  shall  be  in  the  way ; 

And  the  almond  tree  shall  blossom. 
And  the  grasshopper  shall  be  a  burden, 
And  the  caperberry  shall  burst : 

Because  man  goeth  to  his  long  home, 
And  the  mourners  go  about  the  streets : 

Or  ever  the  silver  cord  be  loosed, 

Or  the  golden  bowl  be  broken, 

Or  the  pitcher  be  broken  at  the  fountain, 

Or  the  wheel  broken  at  the  cistern  : 

And  the  dust  return  to  the  earth, 

As  it  was ; 
And  the  spirit  return  unto  God 

Who  gave  it. 

58 


Epilogue 

ALL  IS   VANITY— FEAR   GOD 


Vanity  of  vanities,  saith  the  Preacher ;  all  is  vanity. 

And  further,  because  the  Preacher  was  wise,  he  still  taught 
the  people  knowledge ;  yea,  he  pondered,  and  sought  out, 
and  set  in  order  many  proverbs.  The  Preacher  sought  to 
find  out  acceptable  words,  and  that  which  was  written  up- 
rightly, even  words  of  truth.  The  words  of  the  wise  are  as 
goads,  and  as  nails  well  fastened  are  the  words  of  the  col- 
lectors of  sentences,  which  are  given  from  one  shepherd. 
And  as  for  more  than  these,  my  son,  be  warned :  of  mak- 
ing many  books  there  is  no  end ;  and  much  study  is  a 
weariness  of  the  flesh. 

This  is  the  end  of  the  matter;  all  hath  been  heard: 
Fear  God,  and  keep  his  commandments ;  for  this  is  the 
whole  duty  of  man.  For  God  shall  bring  every  work  into 
judgement,  with  every  hidden  thing,  whether  it  be  good  or 
whether  it  be  evil. 

6i 


The 
Wisdom  of  Solomon 


THE    WISDOM  OF  SOLOMON 

A    SUITE   OF  DISCOURSES 

PAGE 

Discourse  I :  Singleness  of  Heart 67 

Discourse  II :  Immortality  and  the  Covenant  with  Death  71 

Discourse  III :  Solomon's  Winning  of  Wisdom       .        .  83 

Discourse  IV  :  The  World  saved  through  Wisdom  .         .  93 

Discourse  V:    Judgments  on   the    Wicked    turning    to 

Blessings  on  God's  People         .....       99 

65 


Discourse  I 

SINGLENESS  OF  HEART 


Love  righteousness,  ye  that  be  judges  of  the  earth, 
Think  ye  of  the  Lord  with  a  good  mi7id. 
And  in  sifigleness  of  heart  seek  ye  him. 

Because  he  is  found  of  them  that  tempt  him  not,  and  is 
manifested  to  them  that  do  not  distrust  him.  For  crooked 
thoughts  separate  from  God ;  and  the  supreme  Power, 
when  it  is  brought  to  the  proof,  putteth  to  confusion  the 
foolish.  Because  vrisdom  will  not  enter  into  a  soul  that 
deviseth  evil,  nor  dwell  in  a  body  that  is  held  in  pledge 
by  sin.  For  a  holy  spirit  of  discipline  will  flee  deceit,  and 
will  start  away  from  thoughts  that  are  without  understand- 
ing, and  will  be  put  to  confusion  when  unrighteousness 
hath  come  in.  For  wisdom  is  a  spirit  that  loveth  man,  and 
she  will  not  hold  a  blasphemer  guiltless  for  his  lips. 
Because  God  beareth  witness  of  his  reins,  and  is  a  true 
overseer  of  his  heart,  and  a  hearer  of  his  tongue ;  because 
the  spirit  of  the  Lord  hath  filled  the  world,  and  that  which 
holdeth  all  things  together  hath  knowledge  of  every  voice. 
Therefore  no  man  that  uttereth  unrighteous  things  shall 
be  unseen ;  neither  shall  Justice,  when  it  convicteth,  pass 
him  by.  For  in  the  midst  of  his  counsels  the  ungodly 
shall  be  searched  out,  and  the  sound  of  his  words  shall 
69 


Discourse  I  -^  The   Wisdom    of  Solomon 

come  unto  the  Lord  to  bring  to  conviction  his  lawless 

deeds ;  because  there  is  an  ear  of  jealousy  that  listeneth 

to  all  things,  and  the  noise  of  murmurings  is  not  hid. 

Beware  then  of  unprofitable  murmuring,  and  refrain  your 

tongue  from  backbiting  ;  because  no  secret  utterance  shall 

go  on  its  way  void,  and  a  mouth  that  belieth  destroyeth 

a  soul. 

70 


Discourse  II 

IMMORTALITY  AND    THE   COVENANT   WITH 
DEATH 


Court  not  death  in  the  error  of  your  life ; 
Neither  draw   upon  yourselves  destruction   by  the 
works  of  your  hatids. 

Because  God  made  not  death :  neither  delighteth  he 
when  the  living  perish.  For  he  created  all  things  that 
they  might  have  being ;  and  the  generative  powers  of  the 
world  are  healthsome,  and  there  is  no  poison  of  destruc- 
tion in  them,  nor  hath  Hades  royal  dominion  upon  earth  : 
for  righteousness  is  immortal.  But  ungodly  men  by  their 
hands  and  their  words  called  death  unto  them ;  deeming 
him  a  friend  they  consumed  away,  and  they  made  a 
covenant  with  him  because  they  are  worthy  to  be  of  his 
portion. 

For  they  said  within  themselves,  reasoning  not  aright : 
"  Short  and  sorrowful  is  our  life ;  and  there  is  no  heahng 
"  when  a  man  cometh  to  his  end,  and  none  was  ever  known 
"  that  gave  release  from  Hades.  Because  by  mere  chance 
"  were  we  born,  and  hereafter  we  shall  be  as  though  we 
"  had  never  been ;  because  the  breath  in  our  nostrils  is 
"  smoke,  and  while  our  heart  beateth  reason  is  a  spark, 
"  which  being  extinguished,  the  body  shall  be  turned  into 
"  ashes,  and  the  spirit  shall  be  dispersed  as  thin  air.  And 
11 


Discourse  II  ^  The   Wisdom 

*  our  name  shall  be  forgotten  in  time,  and  no  man  shall 
'  remember  our  works  ;  and  our  life  shall  pass  away  as  the 
'  traces  of  a  cloud,  and  shall  be  scattered  as  is  a  mist, 
'  when  it  is  chased  by  the  beams  of  the  sun,  and  over- 
'  come  by  the  heat  thereof.  For  our  allotted  time  is  the 
'  passing  of  a  shadow,  and  our  end  retreateth  not ;  be- 
'  cause  it  is  fast  sealed,  and  none  turneth  it  back.  Come 
'  therefore  and  let  us  enjoy  the  good  things  that  now  are ; 
'  and  let  us  use  the  creation  with  all  our  soul  as  youth's 
'  possession.     Let  us  fill  ourselves  with  costly  wine  and 

*  perfumes,  and  let  no  flower  of  spring  pass  us  by ;  let  us 
'  crown  ourselves  with  rosebuds  before  they  be  withered  ; 
^  let  none  of  us  go  without  his  share  in  our  proud  revelry ; 
'  everywhere  let  us  leave  tokens  of  our  mirth :  because 
'  this  is  our  portion,  and  our  lot  is  this.  Let  us  oppress 
'  the  righteous  poor :  let  us  not  spare  the  widow,  nor 
'  reverence  the  hairs  of  the  old  man  gray  for  length  of 
'  years,  but  let  our  strength  be  to  us  a  law  of  righteous- 
^  ness  ;  for  that  which  is  weak  is  found  to  be  of  no  service. 
'  But  let  us  lie  in  wait  for  the  righteous  man,  because  he 
'  is  of  disservice  to  us,  and  is  contrary  to  our  works,  and 
'  upbraideth  us  with  sins  against  the  law,  and  layeth  to 
<  our  charge  sins  against  our  discipline.  He  professeth  to 
'  have  knowledge  of  God,  and  nameth  himself  servant  of 
'  the  Lord.  He  became  to  us  a  reproof  of  our  thoughts. 
'  He  is  grievous  unto  us  even  to  behold,  because  his  life  is 
'  unlike  other  men's,  and  his  paths  are  of  strange  fashion. 

74 


of   Solomon  ^  Discourse  II 

"  We  were  accounted  of  him  as  base  metal,  and  he  ab- 
"  staineth  from  our  ways  as  from  uncleannesses.  The 
"  latter  end  of  the  righteous  he  calleth  happy ;  and  he 
"  vaunteth  that  God  is  his  father.  Let  us  see  if  his  words 
"  be  true,  and  let  us  try  what  shall  befall  in  the  ending  of 
"  his  life :  for  if  the  righteous  man  is  God's  son,  he  will 
"  uphold  him,  and  he  will  deliver  him  out  of  the  hand  of 
"  his  adversaries.  With  outrage  and  torture  let  us  put  him 
"  to  the  test,  that  we  may  learn  his  gentleness,  and  may 
"  prove  his  patience  under  wrong.  Let  us  condemn  him 
"  to  a  shameful  death  ;  for  he  shall  be  visited  according  to 
"  his  words." 

Thus  reasoned  they,  and  they  were  led  astray.  For  their 
wickedness  bhnded  them  ;  and  they  knew  not  the  mysteries 
of  God,  neither  hoped  they  for  wages  of  holiness,  nor  did 
they  judge  that  there  is  a  prize  for  blameless  souls.  Be- 
cause God  created  man  for  incorruption,  and  made  him  an 
image  of  his  own  proper  being ;  but  by  the  envy  of  the 
devil  death  entered  into  the  world,  and  they  that  are  of  his 
portion  make  trial  thereof. 

But  the  souls  of  the  righteous  are  in  the  hand  of  God, 
and  no  torment  shall  touch  them.  In  the  eyes  of  the 
foolish  they  seemed  to  have  died ;  and  their  departure 
was  accounted  to  be  their  hurt,  and  their  journeying  away 
from  us  to  be  their  ruin  :  but  they  are  in  peace.  For  even 
if  in  the  sight  of  men  they  be  punished,  their  hope  is  full 
of  immortality';  and  having  borne  a  little  chastening,  they 
75 


Discourse  II  ^The   Wisdom 


shall  receive  great  good.  Because  God  made  trial  of  them, 
and  found  them  worthy  of  himself;  as  gold  in  the  furnace 
he  proved  them,  and  as  a  whole  burnt  offering  he  accepted 
them.  And  in  the  time  of  their  visitation  they  shall  shine 
forth,  and  as  sparks  among  stubble  they  shall  run  to  and 
fro.  They  shall  judge  nations,  and  have  dominion  over 
peoples  ;  and  the  Lord  shall  reign  over  them  for  evermore. 
They  that  trust  on  him  shall  understand  truth,  and  the 
faithful  shall  abide  with  him  in  love :  because  grace  and 
mercy  are  to  his  chosen. 

But  the  ungodly  shall  be  requited  even  as  they  reasoned, 
they  which  lightly  regarded  the  righteous  man,  and  re- 
volted from  the  Lord  :  for  he  that  setteth  at  nought  wisdom 
and  discipline  is  miserable.  And  void  is  their  hope  and 
their  toils  unprofitable,  and  useless  are  their  works.  Their 
wives  are  foolish,  and  wicked  are  their  children ;  accursed 
is  their  begetting.*  For  good  labours  have  fruit  of  great 
renown ;  and  the  root  of  understanding  cannot  fail.  But 
children  of  adulterers  shall  not  come  to  maturity,  and  the 
seed  of  an  unlawful  bed  shall  vanish  away.  For  if  they 
live  long  they  shall  be  held  in  no  account,  and  at  the  last 
their  old  age  shall  be  without  honour;  and  if  they  die 

*  Because  happy  is  the  barren  that  is  undefiled,  she  who  hath  not  con- 
ceived in  transgression ;  she  shall  have  fruit  when  God  visiteth  souls.  And 
happy  is  the  eunuch  which  hath  wrought  no  lawless  deed  with  his  hands,  nor 
imagined  wicked  things  against  the  Lord;  for  there  shall  be  given  him  for 
his  faithfulness  a  peculiar  favour,  and  a  lot  in  the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord  more 
delightsome  than  wife  or  children. 

76 


of    Solomon  £^  Discourse  II 

quickly  they  shall  have  no  hope,  nor  in  the  day  of  deci- 
sion shall  they  have  consolation.  For  the  end  of  an  un- 
righteous generation  is  ahvay  grievous.  Better  than  this  is 
childlessness  with  vh-tue.  For  in  the  memory  of  virtue  is 
immortality,  because  it  is  recognised  both  before  God  and 
before  men ;  when  it  is  present  men  imitate  it,  and  they 
long  after  it  when  it  is  departed ;  and  throughout  all  time 
it  marcheth  crowned  in  triumph,  victorious  in  the  strife  for 
the  prizes  that  are  undefiled.  But  the  multiplying  brood 
of  the  ungodly  shall  be  of  no  profit,  and  with  bastard  sHps 
they  shall  not  strike  deep  root,  nor  shall  they  establish  a 
sure  hold.  For  even  if  these  put  forth  boughs  and  flourish 
for  a  season,  yet,  standing  unsure,  they  shall  be  shaken  by 
the  wind,  and  by  the  violence  of  winds  they  shall  be  rooted 
out.  Their  oranches  shall  be  broken  off  before  they  come 
to  maturity  ;  and  their  fruit  shall  be  useless,  never  ripe  to 
eat,  and  fit  for  nothing.  For  children  unlawfully  begotten 
are  witnesses  of  wickedness  against  parents  when  God 
searcheth  them  out. 

But  a  righteous  man,  though  he  die  before  his  time,  shall 
be  at  resto  For  honourable  old  age  is  not  that  which 
standeth  in  length  of  time,  nor  is  its  measure  given  by 
number  of  years  :  but  understanding  is  gray  hairs  unto  men, 
and  an  unspotted  life  is  ripe  old  age.  Being  found  well 
pleasing  unto  God  he  was  beloved  of  him,  and  while  living 
among  sinners  he  was  translated.  He  was  caught  away 
lest  wickedness  should  change  his  understanding,  or  guile 
77 


Discourse  II  -^9  The   Wisdom 

deceive  his  soul ;  for  the  bewitching  of  naughtiness  be- 
dimmeth  the  things  which  are  good,  and  the  giddy  whirl 
of  desire  perverteth  an  innocent  mind.  Being  made  per- 
fect in  a  little  while  he  fulfilled  long  years  :  for  his  soul  was 
pleasing  unto  the  Lord;  therefore  hasted  he  out  of  the 
midst  of  wickedness. 

But  as  for  the  peoples,  seeing  and  understanding  not, 
neither  laying  this  to  heart,  that  grace  and  mercy  are  with 
his  chosen,  and  that  he  visiteth  his  holy  ones  :  *  they  shall 
see,  and  they  shall  despise ;  but  them  the  Lord  shall  laugh 
to  scorn.  And  after  this  they  shall  become  a  dishonoured 
carcase,  and  a  reproach  among  the  dead  for  ever.  Because 
he  shall  dash  them  speechless  to  the  ground,  and  shall 
shake  them  from  the  foundations,  and  they  shall  lie  utterly 
waste,  and  they  shall  be  in  anguish,  and  their  memory  shall 
perish.  They  shall  come,  when  their  sins  are  reckoned 
up,  with  coward  fear ;  and  their  lawless  deeds  shall  convict 
them  to  their  face.  Then  shall  the  righteous  man  stand 
in  great  boldness  before  the  face  of  them  that  afflicted  him, 
and  them  that  make  his  labours  of  no  account.  When  they 
see  it,  they  shall  be  troubled  with  terrible  fear,  and  shall 
be  amazed  at  the  marvel  of  God's  salvation. 

They  shall  say  within  themselves,  repenting,  and  for 

*  But  a  righteous  man  that  is  dead  shall  condemn  the  ungodly  that  are 
living,  and  youth  that  is  quickly  perfected  the  many  years  of  an  unrighteous 
man's  old  age;  for  the  ungodly  shall  see  a  wise  man's  end,  and  shall  not 
understand  what  the  Lord  purposed  concerning  him,  and  for  what  he  safely 
kept  him. 

78 


of    Solomon  S«-  Discourse  II 

distress  of  spirit  shall  they  groan :  "  This  was  he  whom 
"aforetime  we  had  in  derision,  and  made  a  parable  of 
"  reproach ;  we  fools  accounted  his  life  madness  and  his 
"  end  without  honour.  How  was  he  numbered  among  sons 
"of  God?  and  how  is  his  lot  among  saints?  Verily  we 
"went  astray  from  the  way  of  truth;  and  the  light  of 
"righteousness  shined  not  for  us,  and  the  sun  rose  not  for 
"  us.  We  took  our  fill  of  the  paths  of  lawlessness  and  de- 
"struction,  and  we  journeyed  through  trackless  deserts; 
"  but  the  way  of  the  Lord  we  knew  not.  What  did  our 
"arrogancy  profit  us?  and  what  good  have  riches  and 
"  vaunting  brought  us  ?  Those  things  all  passed  away  as 
"  a  shadow,  and  as  a  message  that  runneth  by ;  as  a  ship 
"passing  through  the  billowy  water,  w^hereof,  when  it  is 
"  gone  by,  there  is  no  trace  to  be  found,  neither  pathway 
"  of  its  keel  in  the  billows  ;  or  as  when  a  bird  fiieth  through 
"the  air,  no  token  of  her  passage  is  found,  but  the  light 
"wind,  lashed  with  the  stroke  of  her  pinions,  and  rent 
"asunder  with  the  violent  nish  of  the  moving  wings,  is 
"passed  through,  and  afterwards  no  sign  of  her  coming  is 
"  found  therein ;  or  as  when  an  arrow^  is  shot  at  a  mark, 
"the  air  disparted  closeth  up  again  immediately,  so  that 
"  men  know  not  where  it  passed  through :  so  we  also,  as 
"  soon  as  we  were  born,  ceased  to  be ;  and  of  virtue  we 
"  had  no  sign  to  shew,  but  in  our  wickedness  we  w^ere 
"  utterly  consumed." 

Because  the  hope  of  the  ungodly  man  is  as  chaff  carried 
79 


Discourse  II  -^9  The    Wisdom 

by  the  wind,  and  as  foam  vanishing  before  a  tempest; 
and  is  scattered  as  smoke  is  scattered  by  the  wind ;  and 
passeth  by  as  the  remembrance  of  a  guest  that  tarrieth  but 
a  day.  But  the  righteous  Hve  for  ever,  and  in  the  Lord  is 
their  reward,  and  the  care  for  them  with  the  Most  High. 
Therefore  shall  they  receive  the  crown  of  royal  dignity  and 
the  diadem  of  beauty  from  the  Lord's  hand  ;  because  with 
his  right  hand  shall  he  cover  them,  and  with  his  arm  shall 
he  shield  them.  He  shall  take  his  jealousy  as  complete 
armour,  and  shall  make  the  whole  creation  his  weapons  for 
vengeance  on  his  enemies ;  he  shall  put  on  righteousness 
as  a  breastplate,  and  shall  array  himself  with  judgement 
unfeigned  as  with  a  helmet :  he  shall  take  holiness  as  an 
invincible  shield,  and  he  shall  sharpen  stern  wrath  for  a 
sword.  And  the  world  shall  go  forth  with  him  to  fight 
against  his  insensate  foes.  Shafts  of  lightning  shall  fly 
with  true  aim,  and  from  the  clouds,  as  from  a  well-drawn 
bow,  shall  they  leap  to  the  mark  ;  and  as  from  an  engine 
of  war  shall  be  hurled  hailstones  full  of  wrath ;  the  water 
of  the  sea  shall  be  angered  against  them,  and  rivers  shall 
sternly  overwhelm  them ;  a  mighty  blast  shall  encounter 
them,  and  as  a  tempest  shall  it  winnow  them  away.  And 
so  shall  lawlessness  make  all  the  land  desolate,  and  their 
evil-doing  shall  overturn  the  thrones  of  princes. 

Hear  therefore,  ye   kings,  and   understand ;    learn,  ye 
judges  of  the  ends  of  the  earth ;  give  ear,  ye  that  have 
dominion  over  much  people,  and  make  your  boast  in  mul- 
80 


of    Solomon  ^  Discourse  II 

titudes  of  nations.  Because  your  dominion  was  given  you 
from  the  Lord,  and  your  sovereignty  from  the  Most  High, 
who  shall  search  out  your  works,  and  shall  make  inquisi- 
tion of  your  counsels  ;  because  being  officers  of  his  king- 
dom ye  did  not  judge  aright,  neither  kept  ye  law,  nor 
walked  after  the  counsel  of  God.  Awfully  and  swiftly 
shall  he  come  upon  you,  because  a  stern  judgement  be- 
falleth  them  that  be  in  high  place :  for  the  man  of  low 
estate  may  be  pardoned  in  mercy,  but  mighty  men  shall 
be  searched  out  mightily.  For  the  Sovereign  Lord  of  all 
will  not  refrain  himself  for  any  man's  person,  neither  will 
he  reverence  greatness,  because  it  is  he  that  made  both 
small  and  great.  And  alike  he  taketh  thought  for  all ;  but 
strict  is  the  scrutiny  that  cometh  upon  the  powerful.  Unto 
you,  therefore,  O  princes,  are  m^y  words,  that  ye  may  learn 
wisdom  and  fall  not  from  the  right  way.  For  they  that 
have  kept  holily  the  things  that  are  holy  shall  themselves 
be  hallowed ;  and  they  that  have  been  taught  them  shall 
find  what  to  answer.  Set  your  desire  therefore  on  my 
words ;  long  for  them,  and  ye  shall  be  trained  by  their 
discipline. 

G  8i 


Discourse  III 

in  the  form  of  a  Dramatic  Monologue 
SOLOMON'S   WINNING   OF  WISDOM 


Wisdom  is  radiant  and  fadeth  not  away ; 
And  easily  is  she  beheld  of  them  that  love  her.. 
And  found  of  them  that  seek  her. 

She  forestalleth  them  that  desire  to  know  her,  making 
herself  first  known.  He  that  riseth  up  early  to  seek  her 
shall  have  no  toil,  for  he  shall  find  her  sitting  at  his  gates. 
For  to  think  upon  her  is  perfectness  of  understanding,  and 
he  that  watcheth  for  her  sake  shall  quickly  be  free  from 
care.  Because  she  goeth  about,  herself  seeking  them  that 
are  worthy  of  her ;  and  in  their  paths  she  appeareth  unto 
them  graciously,  and  in  every  purpose  she  meeteth  them. 
For  her  true  beginning  is  desire  of  discipline ;  and  the 
care  for  discipline  is  love  of  her ;  and  love  of  her  is  observ- 
ance of  her  laws  ;  and  to  give  heed  to  her  laws  confirmeth 
incorruption ;  and  incorruption  bringeth  near  unto  God  : 
so  then  desire  of  Wisdom  promoteth  to  a  kingdom.  If 
therefore  ye  delight  in  thrones  and  sceptres,  ye  princes  of 
peoples,  honour  Wisdom,  that  ye  may  reign  for  ever. 

But  what  Wisdom  is,  and  how  she  came  into  being,  I 

will  declare,  and  I  will  not  hide  mysteries  from  you ;   but 

I  will  trace  her  out  from  the  beginning  of  creation,  and 

bring  the  knowledge  of  her  into  clear  light,  and  I  will  not 

85 


Discourse  III  ^  The   Wisdom 

pass  by  the  truth.  Neither  indeed  will  I  take  pining  envy 
for  my  companion  in  the  way  :  because  envy  shall  have  no 
fellowship  with  wisdom,  but  a  multitude  of  wise  men  is 
salvation  to  the  world,  and  an  understanding  king  is  tran- 
quillity to  his  people.  Wherefore  be  disciplined  by  my 
words,  and  thereby  shall  ye  profit. 

I  myself  also  am  mortal,  like  to  all,  and  am  sprung  from 
one  born  of  the  earth,  the  man  first  formed.  And  in  the 
womb  of  a  mother  was  I  moulded  into  flesh  in  the  time  of 
ten  months,  being  compacted  in  blood  of  the  seed  of  man 
and  pleasure  that  came  with  sleep.  And  I  also,  when  I 
was  born,  drew  in  the  common  air,  and  fell  upon  the  kin- 
dred earth,  uttering,  like  all,  for  my  first  voice  the  self-same 
wail ;  in  swaddling  clothes  was  I  nursed,  and  with  watch- 
ful cares.  For  no  king  had  any  other  first  beginning  ;  but 
all  men  have  one  entrance  into  life,  and  a  like  departure. 
For  this  cause  I  prayed,  and  understanding  was  given  me ; 
I  called  upon  God,  and  there  came  to  me  a  spirit  of  wis- 
dom. I  preferred  her  before  sceptres  and  thrones,  and 
riches  I  esteemed  nothing  in  comparison  of  her ;  neither 
did  I  liken  to  her  any  priceless  gem,  because  all  the  gold 
of  the  earth  in  her  presence  is  a  little  sand,  and  silver  shall 
be  accounted  as  clay  before  her.  Above  health  and  come- 
Hness  I  loved  her;  and  I  chose  to  have  her  rather  than 
light,  because  her  bright  shining  is  never  laid  to  sleep. 

But  with  her  there  came  to  me  all  good  things  together, 
86 


of    Solomon  B^  Discourse  III 


and  in  her  hands  innumerable  riches.  And  I  rejoiced  over 
them  all  because  Wisdom  leadeth  them ;  though  I  knew 
not  that  she  was  the  mother  of  them.  As  I  learned  without 
guile,  I  impart  without  grudging ;  I  do  not  hide  her  riches. 
For  she  is  unto  men  a  treasure  that  faileth  not ;  and  they 
that  use  it  obtain  friendship  with  God,  commended  to  him 
by  the  gifts  which  they  through  discipline  present  to  him. 
But  to  me  may  God  give  to  speak  with  judgement,  and  to 
conceive  thoughts  worthy  of  what  hath  been  given  me. 
Because  himself  is  one  that  guideth  even  Wisdom,  and 
that  correcteth  the  wise ;  for  in  his  hand  are  both  we  and 
our  words,  all  understanding,  and  all  acquaintance  with 
divers  crafts.  For  himself  gave  me  an  unerring  knowl- 
edge of  the  things  that  are :  to  know  the  constitution  of 
the  world,  and  the  operation  of  the  elements ;  the  begin- 
ning and  end  and  middle  of  times  ;  the  alternations  of  the 
solstices  and  the  changes  of  seasons  ;  the  circuits  of  years 
and  the  positions  of  stars ;  the  natures  of  living  creatures 
and  the  ragings  of  wild  beasts  ;  the  violences  of  winds  and 
the  thoughts  of  men ;  the  diversities  of  plants  and  the 
virtues  of  roots.  All  things  that  are  either  secret  or  mani- 
fest I  learned:  for  she  that  is  the  artificer  of  all  things 
taught  me,  even  Wisdom. 

For  there  is  in  her  a  spirit  quick  of  understanding,  holy, 
alone  in  kind,  manifold,  subtil,  freely  moving,  clear  in  utter- 
ance, unpolluted,  distinct,  unharmed,  loving  what  is  good, 
keen,  unhindered,  beneficent,  loving  toward  man,  stedfast, 
87 


Discourse  III  ^  The    Wisdom 

sure,  free  from  care,  all-powerful,  all-surveying,  and  pene- 
trating through  all  spirits  that  are  quick  of  understanding, 
pure,  most  subtil.  For  Wisdom  is  more  mobile  than  any 
motion ;  yea,  she  pervadeth  and  penetrateth  all  things  by 
reason  of  her  pureness.  For  she  is  a  breath  of  the  power 
of  God,  and  a  clear  effluence  of  the  glory  of  the  Almighty  ; 
therefore  can  nothing  defiled  find  entrance  into  her.  For 
she  is  an  effulgence  from  everlasting  light,  and  an  unspotted 
mirror  of  the  working  of  God,  and  an  image  of  his  good- 
ness. And  she,  being  one,  hath  power  to  do  all  things ; 
and  remaining  in  herself,  reneweth  all  things ;  and  from 
generation  to  generation,  passing  into  holy  souls,  she 
maketh  men  friends  of  God  and  prophets.  For  nothing 
doth  God  love  save  him  that  dwelleth  with  Wisdom.  For 
she  is  fairer  than  the  sun,  and  above  all  the  constellations 
of  the  stars ;  being  compared  with  light  she  is  found  to 
be  before  it :  for  to  the  light  of  day  succeedeth  night,  but 
against  Wisdom  evil  doth  not  prevail,  but  she  reacheth 
from  one  end  of  the  world  to  the  other  with  full  strength, 
and  ordereth  all  things  graciously. 

Her  I  loved  and  sought  out  from  my  youth,  and  I  sought 
to  take  her  for  my  bride,  and  I  became  enamoured  of  her 
beauty.  She  glorifieth  her  noble  birth,  in  that  it  is  given 
her  to  live  with  God,  and  the  Sovereign  Lord  of  all  loved 
her.  For  she  is  initiated  into  the  knowledge  of  God,  and 
she  chooseth  out  for  him  his  works.  But  if  riches  are  a 
desired  possession  in  life,  what  is  richer  than  Wisdom, 


of  Solomon  B^  Discourse  III 

which  worketh  all  things  ?  And  if  understanding  ^Yorketh, 
who  more  than  Wisdom  is  an  artificer  of  the  things  that 
are?  And  if  a  man  loveth  righteousness,  the  fruits  of 
Wisdom's  labour  are  virtues :  for  she  teacheth  soberness 
and  understanding,  righteousness  and  courage ;  and  there 
is  nothing  in  life  for  men  more  profitable  than  these.  And 
if  a  man  longeth  even  for  much  experience,  she  knoweth 
the  things  of  old,  and  divineth  the  things  to  come ;  she 
understandeth  subtilties  of  speeches  and  interpretations  of 
dark  sayings ;  she  foreseeth  signs  and  wonders,  and  the 
issues  of  seasons  and  times.  I  determined  therefore  to 
take  her  unto  me  to  live  with  me,  knowing  that  she  is  one 
Vv-ho  would  give  me  good  thoughts  for  counsel,  and  en- 
courage me  in  cares  and  grief.  Because  of  her  I  shall 
have  glory  among  multitudes,  and  honour  in  the  sight  of 
elders,  though  I  be  young.  I  shall  be  found  of  a  quick 
conceit  when  I  give  judgement,  and  in  the  presence  of 
princes  I  shall  be  admired.  When  I  am  silent,  they  shall 
wait  for  me;  and  when  I  open  my  lips,  they  shall  give 
heed  unto  me ;  and  if  I  continue  speaking,  they  shall  lay 
their  hand  upon  their  mouth.  Because  of  her  I  shall  have 
immortality,  and  leave  behind  an  eternal  memory  to  them 
that  come  after  me.  I  shall  govern  peoples,  and  nations 
shall  be  subjected  to  me.  Dread  princes  shall  fear  me 
when  they  hear  of  me ;  among  my  people  I  shall  shew 
myself  a  good  ruler,  and  in  war  courageous.  When  I  am 
come  into  my  house,  I  shall  find  rest  with  her ;  for  con- 


Discourse  III  -jg  The  Wisdom 

verse  with  her  hath  no  bitterness,  and  to  live  with  her 
hath  no  pain,  but  gladness  and  joy. 

When  I  considered  these  things  in  myself,  and  took 
thought  in  my  heart  how  that  in  kinship  unto  Wisdom  is 
immortality,  and  in  her  friendship  is  good  delight,  and  in 
the  labours  of  her  hands  is  wealth  that  faileth  not,  and  in 
assiduous  communing  with  her  is  understanding,  and  great 
renown  in  having  fellowship  with  her  words,  I  went  about 
seeking  how  to  take  her  unto  myself.  Now  I  was  a  child 
of  parts,  and  a  good  soul  fell  to  my  lot ;  nay  rather,  being 
good,  I  came  into  a  body  undefiled.  But  perceiving  that 
I  could  not  otherwise  possess  Wisdom  except  God  gave 
her  me,  —  yea,  and  to  know  by  whom  the  grace  is  given, 
this  too  came  of  understanding,  —  I  pleaded  with  the  Lord 
and  besought  him  ;  and  with  my  w^hole  heart  I  said : 

O  God  of  the  fathers,  and  Lord  who  keepest  thy  mercy, 
who  madest  all  things  by  thy  word ;  and  by  thy  wisdom 
thou  formedst  man,  that  he  should  have  dominion  over 
the  creatures  that  were  made  by  thee,  and  rule  the  world 
in  holiness  and  righteousness,  and  execute  judgement  in 
uprightness  of  soul :  Give  me  Wisdom  —  her  that  sitteth 
by  thee  on  thy  throne  —  and  reject  me  not  from  among 
thy  servants ;  because  I  am  thy  bondman  and  the  son  of 
thy  handmaid,  a  man  weak  and  short-lived,  and  of  small 
power  to  understand  judgement  and  laws.  For  even  if  a 
man  be  perfect  among  the  sons  of  men,  yet  if  the  wisdom 
that  Cometh  from  thee  be  not  with  him,  he  shall  be  held  in 
90 


of  Solomon  8«-  Discourse  III 

no  account.  Thou  didst  choose  me  before  my  brethren 
to  be  king  of  thy  people,  and  to  do  judgement  for  thy  sons 
and  daughters.  Thou  gavest  command  to  build  a  sanctu- 
ary in  thy  holy  mountain,  and  an  altar  in  the  city  of  thy 
habitation  :  a  copy  of  the  holy  tabernacle  which  thou  pre- 
paredst  aforehand  from  the  beginning.  And  with  thee  is 
Wisdom,  which  knoweth  thy  works,  and  was  present  when 
thou  wast  making  the  world,  and  which  understandeth 
what  is  pleasing  in  thine  eyes,  and  what  is  right  according 
to  thy  commandments.  Send  her  forth  out  of  the  holy 
heavens,  and  from  the  throne  of  thy  glory  bid  her  come  ; 
that  being  present  with  me  she  may  toil  with  me,  and  that 
I  may  learn  what  is  well-pleasing  before  thee.  For  she 
knoweth  all  things  and  hath  understanding  thereof;  and 
in  my  doings  she  shall  guide  me  in  ways  of  soberness,  and 
she  shall  guard  me  in  her  glory.  And  so  shall  my  works 
be  acceptable,  and  I  shall  judge  thy  people  righteously, 
and  I  shall  be  worthy  of  my  father's  throne.  For  what 
man  shall  know  the  counsel  of  God  ?  or  who  shall  conceive 
what  the  Lord  willeth?  For  the  thoughts  of  mortals  are 
timorous,  and  our  devices  are  prone  to  fail.  For  a  cor- 
ruptible body  weigheth  down  the  soul,  and  the  earthy 
frame  lieth  heavy  on  a  mind  that  is  full  of  cares.  And 
hardly  do  we  divine  the  things  that  are  on  earth,  and  the 
things  that  are  close  at  hand  we  find  with  labour ;  but  the 
things  that  are  in  the  heavens  who  ever  yet  traced  out? 
And  who  ever  gained  knowledge  of  thy  counsel,  except 
91 


Discourse  III         ->s  The   Wisdom   of  Solomon 

thou  gavest  Wisdom,  and  sentest  thy  holy  spirit  from  on 

high?     And  it  was  thus  that  the  ways  of  them  which  are 

on  earth  were  corrected,  and  men  were  taught  the  things 

that  are  pleasing  unto  thee ;  and  through  Wisdotn  were 

they  saved. 

92 


Discourse  IV 

THE   WORLD  SAVED    THROUGH    WISDOM 


I 


Through  Wisdom  were  they  saved. 

Wisdom  guarded  to  the  end  the  first-formed  father  of 
the  world,  that  was  created  alone ;  and  delivered  him  out 
of  his  own  transgression,  and  gave  him  strength  to  get 
dominion  over  all  things.  But  when  an  unrighteous  man 
fell  away  from  her  in  his  anger,  he  perished  himself  in  the 
rage  wherewith  he  slew  his  brother.  And  when  for  his 
cause  the  earth  was  drowning  with  a  flood,  Wisdom  again 
saved  it,  guiding  the  righteous  man's  course  by  a  poor 
piece  of  wood. 

Moreover,  when  nations  consenting  together  in  wicked- 
ness had  been  confounded,  Wisdom  knew  the  righteous 
man,  and  preserved  him  blameless  unto  God,  and  kept 
him  strong  when  his  heart  yearned  toward  his  child. 

While  the  ungodly  were  perishing,  Wisdom  delivered  a 
righteous  man,  when  he  fled  from  the  fire  that  descended 
out  of  heaven  on  Pentapolis :  to  whose  wickedness  a 
smoking  waste  still  witnesseth,  and  plants  bearing  fair 
fmit  that  cometh  not  to  ripeness.  Yea,  and  a  disbelieving 
soul  hath  a  memorial  there,  a  pillar  of  salt  still  standing : 
for  having  passed  Wisdom  by,  not  only  were  they  disabled 
from  recognising  the  things  which  are  good,  but  they  also 
95 


Discourse  IV  -^  The   Wisdom 

left  behind  them  for  human  life  a  monument  of  their  folly ; 
to  the  end  that  where  they  went  astray  they  might  fail 
even  to  be  unseen.  But  Wisdom  delivered  out  of  troubles 
those  that  waited  on  her. 

When  a  righteous  man  was  a  fugitive  from  a  brother's 
wrath,  Wisdom  guided  him  in  straight  paths  ;  she  shewed 
him  God's  kingdom,  and  gave  him  knowledge  of  holy 
things  ;  she  prospered  him  in  his  toils,  and  multiplied  the 
fruits  of  his  labour ;  when  in  their  covetousness  men  dealt 
hardly  with  him,  she  stood  by  him  and  made  him  rich ; 
she  guarded  him  from  enemies,  and  from  those  that  lay  in 
wait  she  kept  him  safe,  and  over  his  sore  conflict  she 
watched  as  judge :  that  he  might  know  that  godliness  is 
more  powerful  than  all. 

When  a  righteous  man  was  sold,  Wisdom  forsook  him 
not,  but  from  sin  she  delivered  him ;  she  went  down  with 
him  into  a  dungeon,  and  in  bonds  she  left  him  not  till  she 
brought  him  the  sceptre  of  a  kingdom  and  authority  over 
those  that  dealt  tyrannously  with  him ;  she  shewed  them 
also  to  be  false  that  had  mockingly  accused  him,  and  gave 
him  eternal  glory. 

Wisdom  delivered  a  holy  people  and  a  blameless  seed 
from  a  nation  of  oppressors.  She  entered  into  the  soul  of 
a  servant  of  the  Lord,  and  withstood  terrible  kings  in 
wonders  and  signs.  She  rendered  unto  holy  men  a  reward 
of  their  toils ;  she  guided  them  along  a  mar\^ellous  way, 
and  became  unto  them  a  covering  in  the  daytime  and  a 
96 


of    Solomon  d^  Discourse  IV 

flame  of  stars  through  the  night.  She  brought  them  over 
the  Red  Sea,  and  led  them  through  much  water;  but 
their  enemies  she  drowned,  and  out  of  the  bottom  of  the 
deep  she  cast  them  up.  Tlierefore  the  righteous  spoiled 
the  ungodly ;  and  they  sang  praise  to  thy  holy  name,  O 
Lord,  and  extolled  with  one  accord  thy  hand  that  fought 
for  them  :  because  Wisdom  opened  the  mouth  of  the  dumb, 
and  made  the  tongues  of  babes  to  speak  clearly. 

She  prospered  their  works  in  the  hand  of  a  holy  prophet. 
They  journeyed  through  a  desert  without  inhabitant,  and 
in  trackless  regions  they  pitched  their  tents.  They  with- 
stood enemies,  and  repelled  foes.  They  thirsted,  and  they 
called  upon  thee,  and  there  was  given  them  water  out  of 
the  flinty  rock,  and  healing  of  their  thirst  out  of  the  hard 
stone.  J^or  by  what  thing  their  foes  were  punished^  by 
these  they  in  their  need  were  betiefited. 
H  97 


Discourse  V 

JUDGMENTS  ON  THE  WICKED  TURNING  TO 
BLESSINGS  ON  GOD'S  PEOPLE 


By  ivJiat  things  their  foes  were  punished. 
By  these  they  in  their  need  were  benefited. 

When  the  enemy  were  troubled  with  clotted  blood 
instead  of  a  river's  ever-flowing  fountain,  to  rebuke  the 
decree  for  the  slaying  of  babes,  thou  gavest  them  abun- 
dant water  beyond  all  hope :  having  shewn  them  by  the 
thirst  which  they  had  suffered  how  thou  didst  punish  the 
adversaries.  For  when  they  were  tried,  albeit  but  in  mercy 
chastened,  they  learned  how  the  ungodly  were  tormented, 
being  judged  with  wrath  :  for  these,  as  a  father,  admonish- 
ing them,  thou  didst  prove ;  but  those,  as  a  stern  king, 
condemning  them,  thou  didst  search  out.  Yea,  and  whether 
they  were  far  off  from  the  righteous  or  near  them,  they 
were  alike  distressed;  for  a  double  grief  took  hold  on 
them,  and  a  groaning  at  the  remembrance  of  things  past. 
For  when  they  heard  that  through  their  own  punishments 
the  others  had  been  benefited,  they  felt  the  presence  of 
the  Lord.  For  him  who  long  before  was  cast  forth  and 
exposed  they  left  off  mocking.  In  the  last  issue  of  what 
came  to  pass  they  marvelled,  having  thirsted  in  another 
manner  than  the  righteous. 

But    in  requital   of  the   senseless   imaginings  of  their 

lOI 


Discourse  V  -58  The   Wisdom 

unrighteousness,  wherein  they  were  led  astray  to  worship 
irrational  reptiles  and  wretched  vermin,  thou  didst  send 
upon  them  a  multitude  of  irrational  creatures  for  ven- 
geance — 

—  That  they  might  learn,  that  by  what  things  a  man 
sinneth  by  these  he  is  punished.  For  thine  all-powerful 
hand,  that  created  the  world  out  of  formless  matter,  lacked 
not  means  to  send  upon  them  a  multitude  of  bears  or  fierce 
lions,  or  new-created  wild  beasts,  full  of  rage,  of  unknown 
kind,  either  breathing  out  a  blast  of  fiery  breath,  or 
blowing  forth  from  their  nostrils  noisome  smoke,  or  flash- 
ing dreadful  sparkles  from  their  eyes ;  w^hich  had  power 
not  only  to  consume  them  by  their  violence,  but  to  destroy 
them  even  by  the  terror  of  their  sight.  Yea,  and  without 
these  might  they  have  fallen  by  a  single  breath,  being 
pursued  by  Justice,  and  scattered  abroad  by  the  breath 
of  thy  power.  But  by  measure  and  number  and  weight 
thou  didst  order  all  things. 

For  to  be  greatly  strong  is  thine  at  all  times ;  and  the 
might  of  thine  arm  who  shall  withstand?  Because  the 
whole  world  before  thee  is  as  a  grain  in  a  balance,  and 
as  a  drop  of  dew  that  at  morning  cometh  down  upon  the 
earth.  But  thou  hast  mercy  on  all  men,  because  thou 
hast  power  to  do  all  things ;  and  thou  overlookest  the 
sins  of  men  to  the  end  that  they  may  repent.  For  thou 
lovest  all  things  that  are,  and  abhorrest  none  of  the  things 
which  thou  didst  make.     For  never  wouldest  thou  have 


of   Solomon  ^  Discourse  V 

formed  anything  if  thou  didst  hate  it ;  and  how  would  any- 
thing have  endured,  except  thou  hadst  willed  it  ?  or  that 
which  was  not  called  by  thee,  how  would  it  have  been 
preserved?  But  thou  sparest  all  things,  because  they 
are  thine,  O  Sovereign  Lord,  thou  lover  of  men's  lives ; 
for  thine  incorruptible  spirit  is  in  all  things.  Wherefore 
thou  convictest  by  little  and  little  them  that  fall  from  the 
right  way,  and,  putting  them  in  remembrance  by  the  very 
things  wherein  they  sin,  dost  thou  admonish  them,  that 
escaping  from  their  wickedness  they  may  believe  on  thee, 
O  Lord.  For  verily  the  old  inhabitants  of  thy  holy  land, 
hating  them  because  they  practised  detestable  vvorks  of 
enchantments  and  unholy  rites  —  merciless  slaughters 
of  children,  and  sacrificial  banquets  of  men's  flesh  and 
of  blood  —  confederates  in  an  impious  fellowship,  and 
murderers  of  their  own  helpless  babes,  it  was  thy  counsel 
to  destroy  by  the  hands  of  our  fathers ;  that  the  land 
which  in  thy  sight  is  most  precious  of  all  lands  might 
receive  a  worthy  colony  of  God's  servants.  Nevertheless 
even  these  thou  didst  spare  as  being  men,  and  thou  sent- 
est  hornets  as  forerunners  of  thy  host,  to  cause  them  to 
perish  by  little  and  little.  Not  that  thou  wast  unable  to 
subdue  the  ungodly  under  the  hand  of  the  righteous  in 
battle,  or  by  terrible  beasts  or  by  one  stern  word  to  make 
away  with  them  at  once ;  but  judging  them  by  little  and 
little  thou  gavest  them  a  place  of  repentance,  not  being 
ignorant  that  their  nature  by  birth  was  evil,  and  their 
103 


Discourse  V  -^gTheWisdom 

wickedness  inborn,  and  that  their  manner  of  thought 
would  in  no  wise  ever  be  changed,  for  they  were  a  seed 
accursed  from  the  beginning.  Neither  was  it  through  fear 
of  any  that  thou  didst  leave  them  then  unpunished  for 
their  sins.  For  who  shall  say,  What  hast  thou  done? 
or  who  shall  withstand  thy  judgement  ?  And  who  shall 
accuse  thee  for  the  perishing  of  nations  which  thou  didst 
make?  or  who  shall  come  and  stand  before  thee  as  an 
avenger  for  unrighteous  men?  For  neither  is  there  any 
God  beside  thee  that  careth  for  all,  that  thou  mightest 
shew  unto  him  that  thou  didst  not  judge  unrighteously ; 
neither  shall  king  or  prince  be  able  to  look  thee  in  the  face 
to  plead  for  those  whom  thou  hast  punished.  But  being 
righteous  thou  rulest  all  things  righteously,  deeming  it  a 
thing  alien  from  thy  power  to  condemn  one  that  doth  not 
himself  deserve  to  be  punished.  For  thy  strength  is  the 
beginning  of  righteousness,  and  thy  sovereignty  over  all 
maketh  thee  to  forbear  all.  For  when  men  believe  not  that 
thou  art  perfect  in  power,  thou  shewest  thy  strength,  and  in 
dealing  with  them  that  know  it  thou  puttest  their  boldness 
to  confusion.  But  thou  being  sovereign  over  thy  strength, 
judgest  in  gentleness,  and  with  great  forbearance  dost  thou 
govern  us ;  for  the  power  is  thine  whensoever  thou  hast 
the  will.  But  thou  didst  teach  thy  people  by  such  works 
as  these  how  that  the  righteous  must  be  a  lover  of  men ; 
and  thou  didst  make  thy  sons  to  be  of  good  hope,  because 
thou  givest  repentance  when  men  have  sinned.  For  if  on 
104 


of  Solomon  B^  Discourse  V 

them  that  were  enemies  of  thy  ser\'ants  and  due  to  death 
thou  didst  take  vengeance  with  so  great  heedfulness  and 
indulgence,  giving  them  times  and  place  whereby  they 
might  escape  from  their  wickedness  :  with  how  great  care- 
fulness didst  thou  judge  thy  sons,  to  whose  fathers  thou 
gavest  oaths  and  covenants  of  good  promises!  While 
therefore  thou  dost  chasten  us,  thou  scourgest  our  ene- 
mies ten  thousand  times  more ;  to  the  intent  that  we  may 
ponder  thy  goodness  when  we  judge,  and  when  we  are 
judged  may  look  for  mercy. 

Wherefore  also  the  unrighteous  that  lived  in  folly  of  life 
thou  didst  torment  through  their  own  abominations.  For 
verily  they  went  astray  very  far  in  the  ways  of  error,  taking 
as  gods  those  animals  which  even  among  their  enemies 
were  held  in  dishonour,  deceived  like  foolish  babes. 
Therefore  as  unto  unreasoning  children  thou  didst  send 
thy  judgement  to  mock  them.  But  they  that  would  not 
be  admonished  by  a  mocking  correction  as  of  children 
shall  have  experience  of  a  judgement  worthy  of  God. 
For  through  the  sufferings  whereat  they  were  indignant, 
being  punished  in  these  creatures  v/hich  they  supposed  to 
be  gods,  they  saw,  and  recognised  as  the  true  God  him 
whom  before  they  refused  to  know.  Wherefore  also  the 
last  end  of  condemnation  came  upon  them. 

For  verily  all  men  by  nature  were  but  vain  who  had  no 
perception  of  God,  and  from  the  good  things  that  are  seen 
they  gained  not  power  to  know  him  that  is,  neither  by 


Discourse  V  ^  The   Wisdom 

giving  heed  to  the  works  did  they  recognise  the  artificer ; 
but  either  fire,  or  wind,  or  swift  air,  or  circHng  stars,  or 
raging  water,  or  luminaries  of  heaven,  they  thought  to  be 
gods  that  rule  the  world.  And  if  it  was  through  delight 
in  their  beauty  that  they  took  them  to  be  gods,  let  them 
know  how  much  better  than  these  is  their  Sovereign  Lord  ; 
for  the  first  author  of  beauty  created  them.  But  if  it  was 
through  astonishment  at  their  power  and  influence,  let 
them  understand  from  them  how  much  more  powerful  is 
he  that  formed  them  ;  for  from  the  greatness  of  the  beauty 
even  of  created  things  in  like  proportion  does  man  form 
the  image  of  their  first  maker.  But  yet  for  these  men 
there  is  but  small  blame.  For  they  too  peradventure  do 
but  go  astray  while  they  are  seeking  God  and  desiring  to 
find  him ;  for  living  among  his  works  they  make  diligent 
search,  and  they  yield  themselves  up  to  sight,  because  the 
things  that  they  look  upon  are  beautiful.  But  again  even 
they  are  not  to  be  excused.  For  if  they  had  power  to 
know  so  much,  that  they  should  be  able  to  explore  the 
course  of  things,  how  is  it  that  they  did  not  sooner  find 
the  Sovereign  Lord  of  these  his  works?  But  miserable 
were  they,  and  in  dead  things  were  their  hopes,  who  called 
them  gods  which  are  works  of  men's  hands  —  gold  and 
silver,  wrought  with  careful  art,  and  likenesses  of  animals, 
or  a  useless  stone,  the  work  of  an  ancient  hand.  Yea,  and 
if  some  woodcutter,  having  sawn  down  a  tree  that  is  easily 
moved,  skilfully  strippeth  away  all  its  bark,  and  fashioning 
ic6 


of    Solomon  ^  Discourse  V 

it  in  comely  form  maketh  a  vessel  useful  for  the  service  of 
life  ;  and  burning  the  refuse  of  his  handiwork  to  dress  his 
food  eateth  his  fill ;  and  taking  the  very  refuse  thereof 
which  served  to  no  use  —  a  crooked  piece  of  wood  and 
full  of  knots  —  carveth  it  with  the  diligence  of  his  idleness, 
and  shapeth  it  by  the  skill  of  his  indolence  ;  then  he  giveth 
it  the  semblance  of  the  image  of  a  man,  or  maketh  it  like 
some  paltry  animal,  smearing  it  with  vermilion,  and  with 
paint  colouring  it  red,  and  smearing  over  every  stain  that 
is  therein ;  and  having  made  for  it  a  chamber  worthy  of 
it,  he  setteth  it  in  a  wall,  making  it  fast  with  iron :  while 
then  he  taketh  thought  for  it  that  it  may  not  fall  down, 
knowing  that  it  is  unable  to  help  itself —  for  verily  it  is  an 
image,  and  hath  need  of  help  —  when  he  maketh  his  prayer 
concerning  goods  and  his  marriage  and  children,  he  is  not 
ashamed  to  speak  to  that  which  hath  no  life ;  yea,  for 
health  he  calleth  upon  that  v/hich  is  w-eak,  and  for  life  he 
beseecheth  that  which  is  dead,  and  for  aid  he  supplicateth 
that  which  hath  least  experience,  and  for  a  good  journey 
that  which  cannot  so  much  as  move  a  step,  and  for  gain- 
ing and  getting  and  good  success  of  his  hands  he  asketh 
ability  of  that  which  v/ith  its  hands  is  most  unable  ;  again, 
one  preparing  to  sail,  and  about  to  journey  over  raging 
waves,  calleth  upon  a  piece  of  wood  more  rotten  than  the 
vessel  that  carrieth  him.*     For  blessed  hath  been  wood 

*  For  that  vessel  the  hunger  for  gains  devised,  and  an   artificer,  even 
Wisdom,  built  it.    And  thy  providence,  O  Father,  guideth  it  along.     Because 
107 


Discourse  V  -^The   Wisdom 

through  which  cometh  righteousness.  But  the  idol  made 
with  hands  is  accursed,  itself  and  he  that  made  it ;  because 
his  was  the  working,  and  the  corruptible  thing  was  named 
a  god.  For  both  the  ungodly  doer  and  his  ungodliness 
are  alike  hateful  to  God ;  for  verily  the  deed  shall  be 
punished  together  with  him  that  committed  it.  Therefore 
also  among  the  idols  of  the  nations  shall  there  be  a  visita- 
tion ;  because,  though  formed  of  things  which  God  created, 
they  were  made  an  abomination,  and  stumblingblocks  to 
fhe  souls  of  men,  and  a  snare  to  the  feet  of  the  foolish. 

For  the  devising  of  idols  was  the  beginning  of  forni- 
cation, and  the  invention  of  them  the  corruption  of  life. 
For  neither  were  they  from  the  beginning,  neither  shall 
they  be  for  ever ;  for  by  the  vaingloriousness  of  men  they 
entered  into  the  world,  and  therefore  was  a  speedy  end 
devised  for  them.  For  a  father  worn  with  untimely  grief, 
making  an  image  of  the  child  quickly  taken  away,  now 
honoured  him  as  a  god  which  was  then  a  dead  man,  and 
delivered  to  those  that  were  under  him  mysteries  and 
solemn  rites.     Afterward,  the  ungodly  custom,  in  process 

even  in  the  sea  thou  gavest  a  way,  and  in  the  waves  a  sure  path,  shewing 
that  thou  canst  save  out  of  every  danger,  that  so  even  without  art  a  man  may 
put  to  sea.  And  it  is  thy  will  that  the  works  of  thy  wisdom  should  not  be 
idle.  Therefore  also  do  men  entrust  their  lives  to  a  little  piece  of  wood,  and 
passing  through  the  surge  on  a  raft  are  brought  safe  to  land.  For  in  the  old 
time  also,  when  proud  giants  were  perishing,  the  hope  of  the  world,  taking 
refuge  on  a  raft,  left  to  the  race  of  men  a  seed  of  generations  to  come,  thy 
hand  guiding  the  helm. 

I08 


of    Solomon  B^  Discourse  V 

of  time  grown  strong,  was  kept  as  a  law,  and  by  the  com- 
mandments of  princes  the  graven  images  received  worship. 
And  when  men  could  not  honour  them  in  presence  because 
they  dwelt  far  off,  imagining  the  likeness  from  afar,  they 
made  a  visible  image  of  the  king  whom  they  honoured, 
that  by  their  zeal  they  might  flatter  the  absent  as  if 
present.  But  unto  a  yet  higher  pitch  w^as  worship  raised 
even  by  them  that  knew  him  not,  urged  forward  by  the 
ambition  of  the  artificer.  For  he,  wishing  peradventure 
to  please  one  in  authority,  used  his  art  to  force  the  like- 
ness toward  a  greater  beauty ;  and  the  multitude,  allured 
by  reason  of  the  grace  of  his  handiv/ork,  now  accounted  as 
an  object  of  devotion  him  that  a  little  before  was  honoured 
as  a  man.  And  this  became  a  hidden  danger  unto  life, 
because  men,  in  bondage  either  to  calamity  or  to  tyranny, 
invested  stones  and  stocks  with  the  incommunicable  Name. 
Afterward  it  was  not  enough  for  them  to  go  astray  as 
touching  the  knowledge  of  God ;  but  also,  while  they  live 
in  sore  conflict  through  ignorance  of  him,  that  multitude 
of  evils  they  call  peace.  For  either  slaughtering  children 
in  solemn  rites,  or  celebrating  secret  mysteries,  or  holding 
frantic  revels  of  strange  ordinances,  no  longer  do  they 
guard  either  life  or  purity  of  marriage,  but  one  brings 
upon  another  either  death  by  treachery,  or  anguish  by 
adulterate  offspring.  And  all  things  confusedly  are  filled 
with  blood  and  murder,  theft  and  deceit,  corruption,  faith- 
lessness, tumult,  perjury,  turmoil,  ingratitude  for  benefits 
109 


Discourse  V  -59  The   Wisdom 

received,  defiling  of  souls,  confusion  of  sex,  disorder  in 
marriage,  adultery  and  wantonness.  For  the  worship  of 
those  nameless  idols  is  a  beginning  and  cause  and  end 
of  every  evil.  For  their  worshippers  either  make  merry 
unto  madness,  or  prophesy  lies,  or  live  unrighteously ;  or 
lightly  forswear  themselves,  for,  putting  their  trust  in  life- 
less idols,  when  they  have  sworn  a  wicked  oath  they 
expect  not  to  suffer  harm.  But  for  both  sins  shall  the 
just  doom  pursue  them,  because  they  had  evil  thoughts  of 
God  by  giving  heed  to  idols,  and  swore  unrighteously  in 
deceit  through  contempt  for  holiness.  For  it  is  net  the 
power  of  them  by  whom  men  swear,  but  it  is  that  Justice 
which  hath  regard  to  them  that  sin,  that  visiteth  always 
the  transgression  of  the  unrighteous. 

But  thou,  our  God,  art  gracious  and  true,  longsuffering, 
and  in  mercy  ordering  all  things.  For  even  if  we  sin,  we 
are  thine,  knowing  thy  dominion.  But  we  shall  not  sin, 
knowing  that  we  have  been  accounted  thine ;  for  to  be 
acquainted  with  thee  is  perfect  righteousness,  and  to  know 
thy  dominion  is  the  root  of  immortality.  For  neither  were 
we  led  astray  by  any  evil  device  of  men's  art,  nor  yet  by 
painters'  fruitless  labour,  —  a  form  stained  with  varied 
colours,  the  sight  whereof  leadeth  fools  into  lust;  their 
desire  is  for  the  breathless  form  of  a  dead  image.  Lovers 
of  evil  things,  and  worthy  of  such  hopes  as  these,  are  both 
they  that  do,  and  they  that  desire,  and  they  that  worship. 
For  a  potter,  kneading  soft  earth,  laboriously  mouldeth 


of    Solomon  £^  Discourse  V 


each  several  vessel  for  our  service,  —  nay,  out  of  the  same 
clay  doth  he  fashion  both  the  vessels  that  minister  to 
clean  uses,  and  those  of  a  contrarv^  sort,  all  in  like  manner  : 
but  what  shall  be  the  use  of  each  vessel  of  either  sort,  the 
craftsman  himself  is  the  judge.  And  also,  labouring  to  an 
evil  end,  he  raouldeth  a  vain  god  out  of  the  same  clay, — 
he  who,  having  but  a  little  before  been  made  of  earth, 
after  a  short  space  goeth  his  way  to  the  earth  out  of  which 
he  was  taken,  when  he  is  required  to  render  back  the  soul 
which  was  lent  him :  howbeit  he  hath  anxious  care,  not 
because  his  powers  must  fail,  nor  because  his  span  of  life 
is  short,  but  he  matcheth  himself  against  goldsmiths  and 
silversmiths,  and  he  imitateth  moulders  in  brass,  and 
esteemeth  it  glory  that  he  mouldeth  counterfeits.  His 
heart  is  ashes,  and  his  hope  of  less  value  than  earth,  and 
his  life  of  less  honour  than  clay :  because  he  was  ignorant 
of  him  that  moulded  him,  and  of  him  that  inspired  into 
him  an  active  soul,  and  breathed  into  him  a  vital  spirit ; 
but  he  accounted  our  very  life  to  be  a  plaything,  and  our 
lifetime  a  gainful  fair;  for,  saith  he,  one  must  get  gain 
whence  one  can,  though  it  be  by  evil.  For  this  man 
beyond  all  others  knoweth  that  he  sinneth,  out  of  earthly 
matter  making  brittle  vessels  and  graven  images. 

But  most  foolish  were  they  all,  and  of  feebler  soul  than 
a  babe,  the  enemies  of  thy  people,  who  oppressed  them. 
Because  they  even  accounted  all  the  idols  of  the  nations  to 
be  gods  —  which  have  neither  the  use  of  eyes  for  seeing^ 


Discourse  V  -^  The   Wisdom 

nor  nostrils  for  drawing  breath,  nor  ears  to  hear,  nor  fingers 
for  handling,  and  their  feet  are  helpless  for  walking ;  for  a 
man  made  them,  and  one  whose  own  spirit  is  borrowed 
moulded  them  *  —  yea,  and  the  creatures  that  are  m^ost  hate- 
ful do  they  worship.  For  being  compared  as  to  want  of 
sense,  these  are  worse  than  all  others  ;  neither,  as  seen  be- 
side other  creatures,  are  they  beautiful  so  that  one  should 
desire  them  ;  but  they  have  escaped  both  the  praise  of  God 
and  his  blessing. 

For  this  cause  were  these  men  worthily  punished  through 
creatures  like  those  which  they  worship,  and  tormented 
through  a  multitude  of  vermin.  Instead  of  which  punish- 
ment, thou,  bestowing  benefits  on  thy  people,  preparedst 
quails  for  food,  food  of  rare  taste,  to  satisfy  the  desire  of 
their  appetite  ;  to  the  end  that  thine  enemies,  desiring  food, 
might  for  the  hideousness  of  the  creatures  sent  among  them 
loathe  even  the  necessary  appetite ;  but  these,  thy  people, 
having  for  a  short  space  suffered  want,  might  even  partake 
of  food  of  rare  taste.  For  it  was  needful  that  upon  those 
should  come  inexorable  want  in  their  tyrannous  dealing, 
but  that  to  these  it  should  only  be  shewed  how  their  ene- 
mies were  tormented. 

For  even  when  terrible  raging  of  wild  beasts  came  upon 

*  For  no  one  hath  power,  being  a  man,  to  mould  a  god  like  unto  himself, 
but  being  mortal  he  maketh  a  dead  thing  by  the  work  of  lawless  hands;  for 
he  is  better  than  the  objects  of  his  worship,  forasmuch  as  he  indeed  had  life, 
but  they  never. 

112 


of   Solomon  Sc-  Discourse  V 

thy  people,  and  they  were  perishing  by  the  bites  of  crooked 
serpents,  thy  wrath  continued  not  to  the  uttermost ;  but  for 
admonition  were  they  troubled  for  a  short  space,  having  a 
token  of  salvation,  to  put  them  in  remembrance  of  the  com- 
mandment of  thy  law.  For  he  that  turned  toward  it  was 
not  saved  because  of  that  which  was  beheld,  but  because 
of  thee,  the  Saviour  of  all.  Yea,  and  in  this  didst  thou  per- 
suade our  enemies,  that  thou  art  he  that  delivereth  out  of 
every  evil.  For  them  verily  the  bites  of  locusts  and  flies 
did  slay,  and  there  was  not  found  a  healing  for  their  life, 
because  they  were  w^orthy  to  be  punished  by  such  as  these  ; 
but  thy  sons  not  the  very  teeth  of  venomous  dragons  over- 
came, for  thy  mercy  passed  by  v»-here  they  were,  and 
healed  them.  For  they  were  bitten,  to  put  them  in  re- 
membrance of  thine  oracles ;  and  were  quickly  saved  lest, 
falling  into  deep  forgetfulness,  they  should  become  unable 
to  be  roused  by  thy  beneficence.  For  of  a  truth  it  was 
neither  herb  nor  mollifying  plaister  that  cured  them,  but 
thy  word^  O  Lord,  which  healeth  all  things ;  for  thou  hast 
authority  over  life  and  death,  and  thou  leadest  down  to  the 
gates  of  Hades,  and  leadest  up  again.  But  though  a  man 
may  slay  by  his  wickedness,  yet  the  spirit  that  is  gone  forth 
he  turneth  not  again,  neither  giveth  release  to  the  soul  that 
Hades  hath  received. 

But  thy  hand  it  is  not  possible  to  escape ;  for  ungodly 
men,  refusing  to  know  thee,  were  scourged  in  the  strength 
of  thine  arm,  pursued  with  strange  rains  and  hails  and 
I  113 


Discourse  V  -^SThe   Wisdom 

showers  inexorable,  and  utterly  consumed  with  fire.  For 
—  what  was  most  marvellous  *  of  all  —  in  the  water  which 
quencheth  all  things  the  fire  wrought  yet  more  mightily. 
Instead  whereof  thou  gavest  thy  people  angels'  food  to  eat, 
and  bread  ready  for  their  use  didst  thou  provide  for  them 
from  heaven  without  their  toil,  bread  having  the  virtue  of 
every  pleasant  savour,  and  agreeing  to  every  taste :  for 
thy  nature  manifested  thy  sweetness  toward  thy  children, 
while  that  bread,  ministering  to  the  desire  of  the  eater, 
tempered  itself  according  to  every  man's  choice.  But  snow 
and  ice  endured  fire,  and  melted  not,  that  men  might  know 
that  fire  was  destroying  the  fruits  of  the  enemies,  burning 
in  the  hail  and  flashing  in  the  rains.  And  this  element 
again,  in  order  that  righteous  men  may  be  nourished,  hath 
even  forgotten  its  own  power.  For  the  creation,  minister- 
ing to  thee  its  maker,  straineth  its  force  against  the  un- 
righteous for  punishment,  and  slackeneth  it  in  behalf  of 
them  that  trust  in  thee  for  beneficence.  Therefore  at  that 
time  also,  converting  itself  into  all  forms,  it  ministered  to 
thine  all-nourishing  bounty,  according  to  the  desire  of  them 
that  made  supplication  ;  that  thy  sons,  v*hom  thou  lovedst, 
O  Lord,  might  learn  that  it  is  not  the  growth  of  the  earth's 

*  For  the  world  fighteth  for  the  righteous.  For  at  one  time  the  flame  lost 
its  fierceness,  that  it  might  net  burn  up  the  creatures  sent  against  the  un- 
godly, but  that  these  themselves  as  they  looked  might  see  that  they  were 
chased  through  the  judgement  of  God;  and  at  another  time  even  in  the  midst 
of  water  it  burneth  above  the  power  of  fire,  that  it  may  destroy  the  fruits  of 
an  unrighteous  land. 

114 


of    Solomon  ^  Discourse  V 

fruits  that  nourisheth  a  man,  but  that  thy  word  preserveth 
them  that  trust  thee.  For  that  which  was  not  marred  by 
fire,  when  it  was  simply  warmed  by  a  faint  sunbeam  melted 
away ;  that  it  might  be  known  that  we  must  rise  before 
the  sun  to  give  thee  thanks,  and  must  plead  with  thee  at  the 
dawning  of  the  light.  For  the  hope  of  the  unthankful 
shall  melt  as  the  winter's  hoar  frost,  and  shall  flow  away 
as  water  that  hath  no  use. 

For  great  are  thy  judgements,  and  hard  to  interpret ; 
therefore  souls  undisciplined  went  astray.  For  when  law- 
less men  had  supposed  that  they  held  a  holy  nation  in 
their  power,  they  themselves,  prisoners  of  darkness,  and 
bound  in  the  fetters  of  a  long  night,  close  kept  beneath 
their  roofs,  lay  exiled  from  the  eternal  providence.  For 
while  they  thought  that  they  were  unseen  in  their  secret 
sins,  they  were  sundered  one  from  another  by  a  dark  cur- 
tain of  forgetfulness,  stricken  with  terrible  awe,  and  sore 
troubled  by  spectral  forms.  For  neither  did  the  dark 
recesses  that  held  them  guard  them  from  fears  ;  but  sounds 
rushing  down  rang  around  them,  and  phantoms  appeared, 
cheerless  with  unsmiling  faces.  And  no  force  of  fire  pre- 
vailed to  give  them  light,  neither  were  the  brightest  flames 
of  the  stars  strong  enough  to  illumine  that  gloomy  night : 
but  only  there  appeared  to  them  the  glimmering  of  a  fire  self- 
kindled,  full  of  fear ;  and  in  terror  they  deemed  the  things 
which  they  saw  to  be  worse  than  that  sight  on  which  they 
could  not  gaze.  And  they  lay  helpless,  made  the  sport  of 
"5 


Discourse  V  -^  The   Wisdom 

magic  art,  and  a  shameful  rebuke  of  their  vaunts  of  under- 
standing :  for  they  that  promised  to  drive  away  terrors  and 
troubhngs  from  a  sick  soul,  these  were  themselves  sick 
with  a  ludicrous  fearfulness.  For  even  if  no  troublous 
thing  affrighted  them,  yet,  scared  with  the  creepings  of 
vermin  and  hissings  of  serpents,  they  perished  for  very 
trembling,  refusing  even  to  look  on  the  air,  which  could  on 
no  side  be  escaped.*  But  they,  all  through  the  night  which 
was  powerless  indeed,  and  which  came  upon  them  out  of 
the  recesses  of  powerless  Hades,  all  sleeping  the  same 
sleep,  now  were  haunted  by  monstrous  apparitions,  and 
now  were  paralysed  by  their  soul's  surrendering ;  for  fear 
sudden  and  unlooked-for  came  upon  them.  So  then  every 
m.an,  whosoever  it  might  be,  sinking  down  in  his  place, 
was  kept  in  ward  shut  up,  in  that  prison  which  was  barred 
not  with  iron :  for  whether  he  were  a  husbandman,  or  a 
shepherd,  or  a  labourer  whose  toils  were  in  the  wilderness, 
he  was  overtaken,  and  endured  that  inevitable  necessity ; 
for  with  one  chain  of  darkness  were  they  all  bound. 
Whether  there  were  a  whistling  wind,  or  a  melodious 
noise  of  birds  among  the  spreading  branches,  or  a  meas- 
ured fall  of  water  running  violently,  or  a  harsh  crashing  of 

*  For  wickedness,  condemned  by  a  witness  within,  is  a  coward  thing,  and, 
being  pressed  hard  by  conscience,  always  forecasteth  the  worst  lot.  For  fear 
is  nothing  else  but  a  surrender  of  the  succours  which  reason  offereth;  and 
from  within  the  heart  the  expectation  of  them  being  less  maketh  of  greater 
account  the  ignorance  of  the  cause  that  bringeth  the  torment. 
1 16 


of  Solomon  ^  Discourse  V 


rocks  hurled  down,  or  the  swift  course  of  animals  bounding 
along  unseen,  or  the  voice  of  wild  beasts  harshly  roaring, 
or  an  echo  rebounding  from  the  hollows  of  the  mountains: 
all  these  things  paralysed  them  with  terror.  For  the 
whole  world  beside  was  enlightened  with  clear  light,  and 
was  occupied  with  unhindered  works ;  while  over  them 
alone  was  spread  a  heavy  night,  —  an  im.age  of  the  dark- 
ness that  should  afterward  receive  them.  But  yet  heavier 
than  darkness  were  they  unto  themselves.* 

Whereas  thou  didst  provide  for  thy  people  a  burning 
pillar  of  fire,  to  be  a  guide  for  their  unknown  journey,  and 
withal  a  kindly  sun  for  their  proud  exile.  For  well  did  the 
Egyptians  deserve  to  be  deprived  of  light  and  imprisoned 
by  darkness,  they  who  had  kept  in  close  ward  thy  sons, 
through  whom  the  incorruptible  light  of  the  law  was  to  be 
given  to  the  race  of  men. 

After  they  had  taken  counsel  to  slay  the  babes  of  the 
holy  ones,  and  when  a  single  child  had  been  cast  forth  and 
saved  to  convict  them  of  their  sin,  thou  tookest  away 
from  them  their  multitude  of  children,  and  destroyedst  all 
their  host  together  in  a  mighty  flood.  Of  that  night  were 
our  fathers   made   aware    beforehand,  that,  having  sure 

*  But  for  thy  holy  ones  there  was  great  light;  and  the  Egj'ptians,  hearing 
their  voice  but  seeing  not  their  form,  counted  it  a  happy  thing  that  they  too 
had  suffered;  yet  for  that  they  do  not  hurt  them  now,  though  wronged  by 
them  before,  they  are  thanHul ;  and  because  they  had  been  at  variance  with 
them,  they  made  supplication  to  them. 
117 


Discourse  V  ^  The   Wisdom 

knowledge,  they  might  be  cheered  by  the  oaths  which 
they  had  trusted.  So  by  thy  people  was  expected  salva- 
tion of  the  righteous  and  destruction  of  the  enemies ;  for 
as  thou  didst  take  vengeance  on  the  adversaries,  by  the 
same  means,  calling  us  unto  thyself,  thou  didst  glorify  us. 
For  holy  children  of  good  men  offered  sacrifice  in  secret, 
and  with  one  consent  they  took  upon  themselves  the  cov- 
enant of  the  divine  law,  that  they  would  partake  alike  in 
the  same  good  things  and  the  same  perils ;  the  fathers 
already  leading  the  sacred  songs  of  praise.  But  there 
sounded  back  in  discord  the  cry  of  the  enemies,  and  a 
piteous  voice  of  lamentation  for  children  was  borne  abroad. 
And  servant  along  with  master  punished  with  a  like  just 
doom,  and  commoner  suffering  the  same  as  king,  yea,  all 
the  people  together,  under  one  form  of  death,  had  with 
them  corpses  witliout  number;  for  the  living  were  not 
sufficient  even  to  bury  them,  since  at  a  single  stroke  their 
nobler  offspring  was  consumed.  For  while  they  were  dis- 
believing all  things  by  reason  of  the  enchantments,  upon 
the  destruction  of  the  firstborn  they  confessed  the  people 
to  be  God's  son.  For  while  peaceful  silence  enwrapped 
all  things,  and  night  in  her  own  swiftness  was  in  mid 
course,  thine  all-powerful  word  leaped  from  heaven  out  of 
the  royal  throne,  a  stern  warrior,  into  the  midst  of  the 
doomed  land,  bearing  as  a  sharp  sword  thine  unfeigned 
commandment ;  and  standing  it  filled  all  things  with  death  ; 
and  while  it  touched  the  heaven  it  trode  upon  the  earth. 
ii8 


•of   Solomon  ^  Discourse  V 

Then  forthwith  apparitions  in  dreams  terribly  troubled 
them,  and  fears  came  upon  them  unlooked  for :  and  each 
—  one  thrown  here  half  dead,  another  there  —  made  mani- 
fest wherefore  he  was  dying :  for  the  dreams,  perturbing 
them,  did  foreshew  this,  that  they  might  not  perish  with- 
out knowing  why  they  were  afflicted. 

But  it  befell  the  righteous  also  to  make  trial  of  death, 
and  a  multitude  were  stricken  in  the  wilderness.  Howbeit 
the  wrath  endured  not  for  long.  For  a  blameless  man 
hasted  to  be  their  champion  :  bringing  the  weapon  of  his 
own  ministry,  even  prayer  and  the  propitiation  of  incense, 
he  withstood  the  indignation,  and  set  an  end  to  the  ca- 
lamity, shewing  that  he  was  thy  servant.  And  he  over- 
came the  anger,  not  by  strength  of  body,  not  by  efficacy 
of  weapons ;  but  by  word  did  he  subdue  the  minister  of 
punishment,  by  bringing  to  remembrance  oaths  and  cove- 
nants made  with  the  fathers.  For  when  the  dead  were 
already  fallen  in  heaps  one  upon  another,  standing  be- 
tween he  stopped  the  advancing  wrath,  and  cut  off  the 
way  to  the  living.  For  upon  his  long  high-priestly  robe 
was  the  whole  world,  and  the  glories  of  the  fathers  were 
upon  the  graving  of  the  four  rows  of  precious  stones,  and 
thy  majesty  was  upon  the  diadem  of  his  head.  To  these 
the  destroyer  gave  place,  and  these  the  people  feared  ;  for 
it  was  enough  only  to  make  trial  of  the  wrath. 

But  upon  the  ungodly  there  came  unto  the  end  indigna- 
tion without  mercy.  For  their  future  also  God  foreknew, 
119 


Discourse  V  ^  The   Wisdom 

how  that,  having  changed  their  minds  to  let  thy  people 
go,  and  having  speeded  them  eagerly  on  their  way,  they 
would  repent  themselves  and  pursue  them.  For  while 
they  were  yet  in  the  midst  of  their  mourning,  and  making 
lamentation  at  the  graves  of  the  dead,  they  drew  upon 
themselves  another  counsel  of  folly,  and  pursued  as  fugi- 
tives those  whom  with  intreaties  they  had  cast  out.  For 
the  doom  which  they  deserved  was  drawing  them  unto  this 
end,  and  it  made  them  forget  the  things  that  had  befallen 
them  ;  that  they  might  fill  up  the  punishment  which  was 
yet  wanting  to  their  torments,  and  that  thy  people  might 
journey  on  by  a  marvellous  road,  but  they  themselves 
might  find  a  strange  death. 

For  the  whole  creation,  each  part  in  its  several  kind, 
was  fashioned  again  anew,  ministering  to  thy  several  com- 
mandments, that  thy  servants  might  be  guarded  free  from 
hurt.  Then  was  beheld  the  cloud  that  shadowed  the 
camp,  and  dry  land  rising  up  out  of  what  before  was 
water,  out  of  the  Red  Sea  an  unhindered  highway,  and 
a  grassy  plain  out  of  the  violent  surge ;  by  which  they 
passed  over  with  all  their  hosts,  these  that  were  covered 
with  thy  hand,  having  beheld  strange  marvels.  For  like 
horses  they  roamed  at  large,  and  they  skipped  about  like 
lambs,  praising  thee,  O  Lord,  who  wast  their  deliverer. 
For  they  still  remembered  the  things  that  came  to  pass  in 
the  time  of  their  sojourning,  how  that  instead  of  bearing 
cattle  the  land  brought  forth  lice,  and  instead  of  fish  the 


J 


of   Solomon  B^  Discourse  V 

river  cast  up  a  multitude  of  frogs.  But  afterwards  they 
saw  also  a  new  race  of  birds,  when,  led  on  by  desire,  they 
asked  for  luxurious  dainties ;  for,  to  solace  them,  there 
came  up  for  them  quails  from  the  sea.  And  upon  the 
sinners  came  the  punishments  not  without  the  tokens  that 
were  given  beforehand  by  the  force  of  the  thunders.*  For 
as  the  notes  of  a  psaltery  vary  the  character  of  the  rhythm, 
even  so  did  the  elements,  changing  their  order  one  with 
another,  continuing  always  the  same,  each  in  its  several 
sound :  as  may  clearly  be  divined  from  the  sight  of  the 
things  that  are  come  to  pass.  For  creatures  of  the  dry 
land  were  turned  into  creatures  of  the  waters,  and  creat- 
ures that  swim  trode  now  upon  the  earth  ;  fire  kept  the 
mastery  of  its  own  power  in  the  midst  of  water,  and  water 
forgat  its  quenching  nature ;  contrariwise,  flames  wasted 
not  the  flesh  of  perishable  creatures  that  walked  among 
them,  neither  melted  they  the  ice-like  grains  of  ambrosial 
food  that  v»-ere  of  nature  apt  to  melt.     For  in  all  things, 

*  For  justly  did  they  suffer  through  their  own  wickednesses,  for  grievous 
indeed  was  the  hatred  which  they  practised  toward  guests.  For  whereas  the 
men  of  Sodom  received  not  the  strangers  when  they  came  among  them,  the 
Eg>'ptians  made  slaves  of  guests  who  were  their  benefactors.  And  not  only 
so,  but  God  shall  visit  the  men  of  Sodom  after  another  sort,  since  they  re- 
ceived as  enemies  them  that  were  aliens ;  whereas  these  first  welcomed  with 
feastings,  and  then  afflicted  with  dreadful  toils,  them  that  had  already  shared 
with  them  in  the  same  rights.  And  moreover  they  were  stricken  with  loss  of 
sight,  even  as  were  those  others  at  the  righteous  man's  doors,  when,  being 
compassed  about  with  yawning  darkness,  they  sought  every  one  the  passage 
through  his  own  door. 

121 


Discourse  V  -5g  The   Wisdom   of  Solomon 

O  Lord,  thou  didst  magnify  thy  people,  and  thou  didst 
glorify  them  and  not  lightly  regard  them;  standing  by 
their  side  in  every  time  and  place. 

122 


Syllabus  and  Notes 

TO 

ECCLESIASTES 


Syllabus 

*^*  Each  paragraph  in  this    Syllabus  represents  a  paragraph 
in  the  text. 


Prologue 

All  is  Vanity 

The  totality  of  things  is  incomprehensible,  and  the  effort  to 
interpret  it  is  lost  labour. 

In  things  of  nature  there  is  no  movement  which  is  not  move- 
ment in  a  circle. 

In  human  enquiry  there  is  no  attainment. 

In  the  succession  of  events  there  is  no  advance. 
.    In  the  succession  of  human  generations  there  is  no  continuity. 

Essay  I 

in  the  form  of  a  Dramatic  Monologue 

Solomon's  Search  for  Wisdom 

The  Preacher  identifies  himself  for  the  moment  with    King 

Solomon,  as  supreme  in  wealth  and  wisdom,  in  order  to  trace 

a  fancy  experiment :    the  turning  reflection  on  to  all  kinds  of 

human  effort,  only  to  find  that  they  yield  nothing  to  analysis. 

125 


■^  Ecclesiastes 

1.  The  accumulation  without  limit  of  all  pleasures,  including 
follies  (but  the  '  wisdom,'  or  analysing  power,  being  retained  all 
through)  :   the  survey  presents  nothing  that  is  not  illusory. 

2.  Analysis  turned  on  to  wisdom  itself  [the  reflective  faculty 
and  its  appropriate  expression  in  conduct]  :  this  infinitely  supe- 
rior to  its  opposite,  yet  both  are  involved  in  the  same  death. 

3.  Reflection  turned  on  to  '  labour '  [i.e.  production  of  goods 
as  distinguished  from  consumption]  :  this  made  hateful  by  the 
necessity  of  leaving  to  a  successor  who  may  be  a  fool. 

4.  Is  wisdom  to  be  found  in  appreciating  the  process  [as 
distinguished  from  the  result}  whether  of  pleasure-making  or 
labour  ?  But  such  appreciation  of  life  is  a  gift  of  God,  and  is 
not  in  the  power  of  the  seeker.     The  survey  ends  in  illusion. 


Essay  II 

The  Philosophy  of  Times  and  Seasons 

A  Theory.  —  The  sphere  of  wisdom  does  not  lie  in  the  Whole, 
but  in  the  separate  Parts :  all  things  have  an  interest  of  their 
own  [have  their  *  seasons'].  —  This  having  been  stated  (in  son- 
net form)  is  met  with  four  objections. 

1.  The  Parts  have  an  inherent  interest  of  their  own  —  but 
equally  inherent  in  man  is  the  questioning  of  the  universal, 
which  can  never  be  satisfied. 

2.  The  appreciation  of  this  interest  of  the  Parts  is  a  God- 
given  thing  —  and  God  acts  on  fixed  principles  which  the  indi- 
vidual cannot  influence. 

126 


Syllabus  S«- 

3.  The  'seasons'  of  things  are  seen  reversed:  wickedness  in 
place  of  judgment. 

Objection.  —  Such  facts  argue  an  hereafter  for  rectification. 
Rejoinder. — The  facts  fit  equally  with  the  view  that  man 
is  not  different  in  his  end  from  the  beasts. 

4.  There  are  things  to  which  no  *  season '  can  give  an  inter- 
est :  suffering  under  oppression  —  skill  attained  at  the  price  of 
bitter  competition  —  effort  recognising  its  own  purposelessness. 

Essay  III 

The  Vanity  of  Desire 

Attainment  without  satisfaction. 

Attainment  attended  by  hurt. 

Attainment  attended  by  hurt  and  followed  by  failure. 

Side  by  side,  a  real  good :  God-given  wealth  with  God-given 
satisfaction  in  it  —  and  the  worst  of  evils  :  God-given  wealth  and 
the  satisfaction  ^vithheld. 

Desire  prompts  effort,  only  to  encounter  limitations  inherent 
in  humanity. 

Knowledge  of  what  to  desire  belongs  to  a  future  which  the 
short  life  never  reaches. 

Essay  IV 

The  Search  for  Wisdom  with  Notes  by  the  Way 

Wisdom  [interpretation  of  the  \Miole]  is  unattainable :  but 
tentative  approaches  may  be-  made,  notes  on  the  analysis  of 
things. 

127 


-^  Ecclesiastes 

Feminine  temptation  is  worse  than  death. 

A  wise  man  is  a  rarity ;  a  wise  woman  not  yet  found. 

The  Creator's  design  in  man  was  moral :  his  own  bent  is 
utilitarian. 

The  wise  man's  spirit  is  reflected  in  his  countenance. 

Non-resistance  a  religious  duty  and  a  point  of  wisdom :  within 
its  limits  there  is  safety;  whereas  the  wisdom  of  resistance  could 
only  be  proved  in  a  future  the  individual  will  not  live  to  see. 

Sin  is  encouraged  by  the  spectacle  of  the  oppressor  and  his 
innocent  victim  coming  to  the  same  end  of  death  and  oblivion : 
but  in  spite  of  such  impunity  it  is  not  well  with  the  wicked. 

The  spectacle  of  the  righteous  unfortunate  and  the  wicked 
prosperous  brings  despair  of  wisdom :  there  seems  nothing  bet- 
ter than  enjoyment. 

The  vastness  of  the  survey  of  things  makes  wisdom  unattain- 
able.—  This  alone  is  more  than  any  can  solve:  that  the  fate  of 
the  righteous  for  good  or  ill  is  a  secret  of  God;  the  same  death 
comes  to  all,  and  for  the  dead  there  is  no  portion  in  any  thing. 

Happiness  in  life  is  the  sign  of  God's  acceptance :  cultivate  it 
before  the  grave  cuts  the  life  short. 

Capacity  does  not  secure  attainment :  time  and  chance  hap- 
pen to  all. 

Wisdom  achieving  where  strength  failed  is  yet  forgotten  be- 
cause united  with  poverty. 

128 


Syllabus  g€- 

Essay  V 

Life  as  a  Joy  shadowed  by  the  Judgment 

Life  is  a  thing  of  joy  —  shadowed  by  responsibility  —  the 
coming  days  of  vanity  a  reason  for  cherishing  hfe  while  it 
lasts  —  the  coming  years  of  feebleness  a  reason  for  an  early  rec- 
ognition of  the  Creator. 

Epilogue 

All  is  Vanity  —  Fear  God 

The  totality  of  things  is  incomprehensible. 

The  function  of  wisdom  [analytic]  is  limited  :  detailed  reflec- 
tions and  the  working  up  of  these,  for  the  purpose  of  stimulus 
[goads]  and  securing  steps  of  advance  [nails]  —  anything  be- 
yond this  is  lost  labour. 

The  summary  of  wisdom  [practical]  :  human  works  within  the 
limits  of  Divine  commandments. 
K  129 


Notes 


On  Literary  Formulce  in  Ecclesiastes 

One  of  the  characteristic  features  of  style  in  this  writer  is  the 
employment  over  and  over  again  of  certain  phrases,  which  have 
the  effect  of  formulae.  But  they  are  not  used  with  the  precision 
and  uniformity  of  philosophic  terms;  on  the  contrary  they  are 
artistically  varied,  and  add  a  subtle  literary  charm  to  the  book. 

Vanity  of  vanities,  all  is  vanity. 
All  things  are  full  ofzveariness. 
All  is  vanity  and  a  strivi7ig  after  wind. 

This  also  was  vanity. 

There  is  a  vanity  which  is  done  upon  the  earth. 

It  Cometh  in  vanity,  and  departeth  in  darkness  {III^. 

There  be  jnany  things  that  increase  vanity  (^III^. 

Etymologically  the  word  for  'vanity'  is  suggestive  of  breath 
or  vapour.  But  the  force  of  these  formulae  is  best  appreciated 
by  noting  how  the  word  occupies  the  position  which  in  other 
biblical  philosophy  is  occupied  by  the  word  'wisdom,'  in  the 
sense  of  the  universal  harmony  or  one-ness.  Thus  *  vanity '  to 
this  thinker  connotes  the  failure  to  satisfy  the  reflective  faculty. 
131 


-^  Ecclesiastes 

In  this  connection  '  all '  or  *  all  things '  is  suggestive :  it  is  anti- 
thetic to  the  conception  of  a  unity  in  the  universe. 

A/I  that  is  done  under  heaven. 

All  the  works  that  are  done  under  the  sun. 

What  it  was  good  for  the  sons  of  men  that  they  should  do 

under  the  heaven  all  the  days  of  their  life. 
The  work  that  is  lurought  under  the  sun. 
There  is  a  grievous  evil  which  I  have  seen  under  the  sun. 
Who  can  tell  a  man  what  shall  be  after  him  under  the  sun  ? 
Thou  knowest  not  what  evil  shall  be  upon  the  earth. 
All  the  days  of  the  life  of  thy  vanity.,  which  he  hath  givrn 

thee  under  the  sun. 

(many  others) 

The  whole  group  of  expressions,  under  the  sun,  or  upon  the 
earth,  etc.,  make  formulae  for  the  objective  world,  antithetic  to 
the  world  of  consciousness  and  reflection  which  fills  the  thought 
of  the  book.  Another  antithesis  to  these  expressions  is  the 
following : 

The  work  that  God  hath  done  from  the  beginning  even  to 
the  end  {II). 

The  work  of  God  who  doeth  all  (^xxxii') . 

Consider  the  7uork  of  God  .  .  .  God  hath  even  made  \_ pros- 
perity'] side  by  side  with  [adversity']. 

These  are  formulae,  not  for  the  phenomena,  but  for  the  under- 
lying principles  which  are  hidden,   and   (Ecclesiastes  thinks) 
impossible  to  discover.    The  two  formulae  clash  in  one  passage  ; 
132 


Notes  ^ 

I  beheld  all  the  work  of  God,  that  man  cannot  find  out  the 
Toork  that  is  done  tinder  the  sun  :  because  however  much 
a  matt  labour  to  seek  it  out,  yet  he  shall  not  find  it  {IF). 

Another   set  of   expressions    are  used   to    introduce   distinct 
stages  or  steps  in  the  reflective  process. 

/ communed  7aith  mine  own  heart. 
I  said  in  mine  heart. 
I  searched  in  mine  heart  how  .  ,  . 
Then  I  looked. 

And  I  turned  myself  to  behold. 
I  returned,  and  saw. 

All  this  have  I  seen,  and  applied  my  heart  unto  .  . 
etc. 

The  following  make  an  important  group. 

There  is  nothing  better  for  a  man  than  that  he  should 
eat  and  drink,  and  make  his  soul  enjoy  good  in  his 
labour  (/). 

Who  can  eat,  or  who  can  have  enjoy me?zt,  more  than  I ? 

Nothing  better  for  them  than  to  rejoice  and  to  get  good  so 
lojtg  as  they  live  :  and  also  that  every  man  should  eat 
and  drink,  and  enjoy  good  in  all  his  labour  is  .  .  .  {II). 

There  is  nothing  better  than  that  a  man  should  rejoice  in 
his  ivorks  {II). 

Good  .  .  .  and  cofuely  .  .  .  to  eat  and  to  drink,  and  to  enjoy 
good  in  all  his  labour  {III). 
133 


-^  Ecclesiastes 

Riches  and  wealth  and  .  .  .  poiver  to  eat  thereof,  and  to 
take  his  portion,  and  to  rejoice  in  his  labour  {III^. 

God  giveth  riches,  "wealth,  and  honour,  so  that  he  lacketh 
nothing  for  his  soul  of  all  that  he  desireth,  yet  God  giveth 
hi?n  not  power  to  eat  thereof  {II I^. 

Then  I  commended  mirth,  because  a  man  hath  no  better 
thing  under  the  sun  than  to  eat  and  to  drink  aiid  to  be 
merry :  and  that  this  should  accompany  him  in  his 
labour  all  the  days  of  his  life  {IV). 

When  all  these  passages  are  read  together  it  becomes  evi- 
dent that  the  expression  eat  and  drink  is  not  used  by  this  writer 
in  the  limited  sense  of  indulging  sensuous  appetite,  but  as  a 
formula  for  appreciation  in  the  widest  extent:  some  of  these 
passages  applying  eat  and  drink  to  riches,  to  labour,  and  even 
to  honour.  A  similar  remark  may  be  made  as  to  mirth  :  the 
last  quotation  makes  it  an  element  of  labour.  As  a  fact,  Ecclesi- 
astes never  dwells  upon  the  revel,  or  the  sensuous,  by  itself:  all 
happy  appreciation  of  life  is  treated  as  one. 

The   word  labour  has   the  appearance   of  being  used  as  a 
formula. 

What  hath  a  man  of  all  his  labour,  and  of  the  striving  pf 

his  heart  wherein  he  labour eth  under  the  sitn  ?  (/). 
I  hated  all  my  labour  .  .  .  seeing  that  I  must  leave  it  unto 

the  man  that  shall  be  after  me  (/). 
Then  I  looked  on  all  the  works  that  my  hands  had  wrought^ 
and  on  the  labour  that  I  had  laboured  to  do  (/) . 
etc. 
134 


Notes  8«- 

The  sense  suggested  seems  to  be  the  effort  of  production,  as 

antithetic  to  consumption. 

The  word  time  enters  into  the  usage  of  formulae. 

r  To  everything  there  is  a  season,  and  a  time  to  every  ptir- 

<        pose  under  the  heaven  {II). 

y  He  hath  made  everything  beautiful  iit  its  time  {II). 

r  A  wise  man^s  heart  discerneth  time  and  judgement :  for  to 
j         every  purpose  there  is  a  time  arid  judgement  (IV). 
I  I^or  man  also  knoweth  not  his  time  .  .  .  so  are  the  sons  of 
I        men  snared  in  an  evil  time  {IV). 

It  will  be  argued  below  (pages  143-8)  that  the  word  time  in  the 
two  sets  of  passages  points  to  totally  different  ideas. 

In  reference  to  the  word  wisdom  itself  a  distinction  may  be 
made.  To  a  great  extent  the  word  is  used  in  this  book  in  a 
very  general  sense,  as  the  equivalent  of  knowledge,  or  the  antith- 
esis to  folly. 

To  know  wisdom,  and  to  know  madness  and  folly  {I). 
Whose  labour  is  with  wisdom,  and  with  knowledge,  and  with 
skilf Illness  (/). 

It  approaches  a  formula  when  used  of  the  reflective  process, 
either  for  the  process  itself  or  its  results. 

All  this  have  I  proved  in  wisdom  .  .  .  to  seek  wisdom  and 

the  reason  of  things  {IV). 
To  search  out  by  wisdom  concerning  all  that  is  done  under 

heaven  (/). 

13s 


-^  Ecclesiastes 

/  have  seen  wisdom  under  the  sun  in  this  wise,  and  it 

seemed  great  unto  me  (/F"). 
(^Mine  heart  yet  guidi?tg  me  with  wisdtwi)  (/). 
Also  my  wisdom  re?nained  with  me  (/). 

The  two  last  quotations  —  from  the  imaginary  experiment  of 
Solomon  —  are  specially  important :  he  is  experimenting  in 
folly,  but  retaining  all  the  while  *  wisdom  '  that  could  reflect  on 
the  folly. 


Title 

Ecclesiastes,  or  The  Preacher.  —  The  Greek  word  *  Ecclesi- 
astes '  was  used  by  the  translators  of  the  Septuagint  to  express  a 
Hebrew  word  Qoheleth.  As  the  Hebrew  word  does  not  occur 
elsewhere,  all  that  we  can  learn  as  to  the  original  title  may  be 
summed  up  under  two  heads:  (i)  that  it  is  connected  etymo- 
logically  with  the  general  idea  of  *  collecting '  or  *  gathering  ' : 
(2)  that  the  Seventy  thought  it  represented  by  the  Greek  word 
they  used  for  it.  This  word,  in  Classical  Greek,  means  simply  a 
'  Member  of  Assembly,'  and  I  see  no  reason  why  the  title  of  this 
book  need  do  more  than  suggest  'One  of  the  Wise';  the  word 
'  Counsellor '  is  often  used  in  this  sense  (e.g.  Job,  chapter  xii. 
17).  The  Vulgate,  however,  interpreted  it  as  the  caller  of  an 
assembly,  and  expressed  this  by  the  Latin  word  Concionator  ; 
which  Luther  further  altered  into  Preacher,  and  this  title  has 
unfortunately  survived.  It  is  impossible  now  to  alter  it;  but 
there  is  nothing  in  the  book  that  fits  in  with  it. 
136 


Notes  B«- 


The  tvords  of  the  Preacher,  the  son  of  David,  king  in  yerusa- 
lem.  These  words  are  found  in  the  R.V.,  but  such  editorial 
sub-titles  are  omitted  in  the  present  edition.  There  is  no  evi- 
dence to  show  that  such  titles  were  part  of  the  original  works, 
or  to  indicate  what  authority  of  tradition  they  bring.  On  the 
other  hand  they  are  often  out  of  keeping  with  the  matter  to 
which  they  are  prefixed  (e.g.  Psalms  xxxiv,  lii) ;  or  at  least  de- 
scribe correctly  only  the  beginning,  and  not  the  whole,  of  what 
they  introduce  (compare  Ecclesiastictis  volume,  page  xvi).  In 
the  present  case  they  seem  to  be  based  on  the  opening  words 
of  Essay  I,  the  addition  of  an  editor  who  did  not  perceive  that 
such  words  would  apply  only  to  that  essay.  It  may  be  pointed 
out,  moreover,  that  it  was  a  tendency  of  antiquity  to  describe 
loosely  a  whole  work  by  what  was  a  prominent  part  of  it.  Thus 
the  biblical  title  to  Proverbs  uses  the  expression  "  The  Proverbs 
of  Solomon,"  etc.,  although  other  authorship  is  recognised  in  the 
book  itself,  and  further,  the  title  "  The  Proverbs  of  Solomon  "  is 
repeated  at  the  point  (chapter  x)  where  these  actually  begin. 
The  title  is  further  explained  by  the  tendency  (see  Introduction, 
page  xii)  to  speak  of  all  proverb  literature  by  the  name  of  the 
Solomon  who  was  regarded  as  its  founder.  To  such  an  extent 
does  this  prevail  in  ecclesiastical  tradition  that  Clement  (of 
Alexandria)  and  Cyprian  use  '  Solomon '  even  for  Ecclesiasticus, 
although  that  collection  of  wisdom  has  an  author  who  names 
himself,  and  is  named  at  the  outset  by  his  translator.  —  It  is 
hardly  necessary  to  add  that  the  words  are  of  no  force  in  the 
question  of  the  authorship  of  the  book. 
137 


-^  Ecclesiastes 

Prologue 

For  the  general  argument  of  the  prologue  see  the  Syllabus. 

Page  7.  Vajiity  of  vanities :  for  this  formula  see  above, 
page  131.  —  Saitk  the  Preacher  :  for  the  word  Preacher  see  above, 
page  136.  These  or  similar  words  constitute  a  formula  that  partly 
takes  the  place  of  the  My  son  of  other  wisdom  books.  It  is 
significant  that  the  latter  is  only  used  in  the  epilogue.  The 
older  type  of  Men  of  Wisdom  held  a  firmly  established  system, 
and  so  spoke  down  to  their  readers;  the  present  writer  has 
failed  to  solve  life's  mystery,  and  so  speaks  only  as  '  One  of  the 
Wise'  to  others  his  equals.  But  when  he,  in  the  epilogue,  is 
proclaiming  this  negative  attitude  as  the  true  \visdom,  he  falls 
naturally  into  the  authoritative  My  son. 

Page  7.  All  the  rivers  run  into  the  sea,  yet  the  sea  is  not 
full ;  unto  the  place  whither  the  rivers  go,  thither  they  go  agaiti. 
So  far  as  a  circle  can  be  said  to  have  a  starting  point,  this 
passage  makes  the  sea  the  fountain  for  the  round  of  waters: 
from  the  sea  rises  vapour,  which  falls  in  rain  on  the  land,  perco- 
lates into  rivers,  and  so  runs  back  to  the  sea.    Similarly  Homer : 

The  mighty  strength  of  Ocean^s  fathomless  flow. 
Forth  out  of  whom  all  rivers  and  all  the  sea-7vaves  go, 
And  all  deep-slumbering  wells  and  fountains  sunlight  plash- 
ing* 

The  same  thought  (with  a  slight  difference  in  the  process)  is  the 
foundation  of  one  of  the  most  beautiful  similes  in  English  poetry 
(in  Sir  John  Davies's  Nosce  teipsum^. 

*  niad,  xxi.  19  (Way's  translation). 


Notes  B^ 


And  as  the  moisture,  which  the  thirsty  earth 
Sucks  fr 0771  the  sea,  to  fill  her  eTTipty  veins^ 

FroTTi  out  her  woTTib  at  last  doth  take  a  birth, 
And  rtais  a  lymph  a lojig  the  grassy  plains  : 

Long  doth  she  stay,  as  loth  to  leave  the  lattd, 

From  whose  soft  side  she  first  did  issue  make  S 

She  tastes  all  places,  turns  to  every  hand. 
Her  flowery  banks  unwilling  to  forsake  : 

Yet  nattire  so  her  streams  doth  lead  and  carry y 
As  that  her  course  doth  7nake  tio  fi)tal  stay, 

Till  she  herself  tatto  the  ocea^i  i7iarry. 

Within  whose  watery  boso77i  first  she  lay  : 

E^en  so  the  soul,  tvhich  in  this  earthly  mould 
The  spirit  of  God  doth  secretly  infuse. 

Because  at  first  she  doth  the  earth  behold. 
And  only  this  material  world  she  views  : 

At  first  her  t7iother  earth  she  holdeth  dear. 

And  doth  e77ibrace  the  world,  atid  worldly  things^ 

She  flies  close  by  the  g-'-ound,  ajid  hovers  here, 
And  77iounts  not  up  with  her  celestial  wings. 

Yet  under  heaven  she  ca^inot  light  on  aught 
That  with  her  heavenly  nature  doth  agree  : 

She  cannot  rest,  she  cannot  fix  her  thought^ 
She  cannot  in  this  world  contented  be. 
139 


■^  Ecclesiastes 

I  have  thought  it  worth  while  to  support  this  conception  at 
full  length,  because  so  omniscient  a  writer  as  Lord  Macaulay 
blundered  over  it,  and  fastened  his  own  blunder  on  the  author 
he  was  reviewing.  In  the  celebrated  essay  on  Robert  Mont- 
gomery occurs  the  following  passage. 

JVe  would  not  be  understood,  however,  to  say,  that  Mr. 
Robert  Montgomery  cannot  make  similitudes  for  himself. 
A  very  few  lines  further  on,  we  find  one  which  has  every 
mark  of  originality,  and  on  which,  we  will  be  bound,  none 
of  the  poets  whom  he  has  plundered  will  ever  think  of  mak- 
ing reprisals  : 

"  The  soul,  aspiring,  pants  its  source  to  mount. 
As  streams  meander  level  with  their  founts 

We  take  this  to  be,  on  the  whole,  the  worst  similitude  in 
the  world.  In  the  first  place,  no  stream  meanders,  or  can 
possibly  meander,  level  with  its  fount.  In  the  next  place,  if 
streams  did  meander  level  with  their  founts,  no  two  motions 
can  be  less  like  each  other  than  that  of  meandering  level  and 
that  of  mounting  upwards. 

It  is  plain  that  Macaulay  thought  only  of  the  prosaic  fountain 
of  a  stream,  which  must  be  its  highest  point;  Montgomery,  with 
Homer,  and  Ecclesiastes  and  poetry,  conceives  the  sea  to  be  the 
true  and  ultimate  fountain  of  the  moving  water.  Again,  the 
reviewer  parsed  the  sentence  wrongly,  in  not  seeing  that  level 
was  *  proleptic  ' :  when  a  maid  "  scrubs  a  floor  clean  "  she  scrubs 
140 


Notes  S«- 

it  till  it  is  clean,  not  when  it  is  clean  ;  so  streams  meander  till 
they  are  level  with  their  fount,  the  sea.  So  far  from  being 
original  with  Robert  Montgomery,  the  couplet  is  a  legitimate 
echo  of  the  much  praised  simile  of  Davies;  and  the  whole  verse 
about  "  tasting  all  places  "  and  "  turning  to  every  hand "  is 
summed  up  in  the  suggestive  "  meander  "  of  the  later  poet.  A 
poetic  conception  that  trips  up  Lord  Macaulay  is  one  as  to 
which  the  readers  of  the  present  volume  will  not  object  to  be 
cautioned. 

Essay  I 

For  the  argument  of  the  essay  see  the  Syllabus. 

Page  II.  I  the  Preacher  was  king,  etc.  The  author  is  here 
identifying  himself  with  Solomon,  for  the  purpose  of  describing, 
in  his  person,  an  imaginary  experiment.  (See  Introduction, 
pages  x-xiii,  xv.) 

Pages  II,  12.  Mine  heart  yet  guiding  me  with  wisdom  .  .  . 
also  my  wisdom  remained  with  me.  The  experiment  included 
the  pleasures  that  are  called  follies :  he  will  give  himself  freely 
to  them,  but  retain  the  wise  reflecting  power  that  can  analyse 
them.  (Compare  above,  page  136.)  On  the  idea  of  thus  experi- 
menting in  folly  see  a  note  on  Wisdom  I  (below,  page  178). 

Page  12.  For  my  heart  rejoiced  because  of  all  my  labour ; 
and  this  was  my  portion  from  all  my  labour.  The  point  of  this 
sentence  is  that  the  imaginary  experiment  is  successful  consid- 
ered as  an  experiment,  that  the  goods  accumulated  do  bring  their 
impression  of  pleasure  :  but  when  reflection  is  turned  upon  them 
there  is  no  satisfaction.  This  element  of  the  argument  is  neces» 
141 


^  Ecclesiastes 

sitated  by  the  fixed  idea  of  the  author,  which  recurs  again  and 
again,  that  a  man  may  possess  all  objects  of  happiness,  and  yet 
may  lack  the  happiness  they  ought  to  bring.  (See  Introduction, 
pages  xx-xxii.) 

Page  13.  And  I  hated  all  7ny  labour,  etc.  The  Syllabus 
suggests  the  difference  between  this  and  the  second  paragraph : 
in  both  there  is  accumulation  of  good  things,  but  the  first  experi- 
ment was  accumulating  only  to  consume;  this  is  the  interest  of 
production  itself,  e.g.  moneymaking,  as  distinct  from  spending  a 
fortune.  (See  above,  page  134.)  Both  are  distinct  from  the  fol- 
lowing paragraph,  which  deals  with  the  process  (of  pleasure  or 
labour)  as  distinct  from  the  final  result :  appreciation  of  life  as 
it  flows  along,  not  the  achievement  of  great  results  in  enjoy- 
ment. 

Page  13.  There  is  nothing  better  for  a  man  than  that  he 
should  eat  and  drink  :  for  these  and  similar  expressions  see 
above,  page  133-4. 

Page  14.  This  also  I  saiv,  that  it  is  from  the  hand  of  God. 
This  is  the  first  appearance  of  what  is  one  of  the  two  positive 
ideas  of  the  book,  —  that  appreciation  of  life  (or  natural  happi- 
ness) is  the  gift  of  God.     (See  Introduction,  page  xv,  etc.) 


Essay  II 

For  the  general  argument  of  this  essay  see  the  Syllabus. 

In  a  sonnet  a  certain  theory  of  life  is  stated,  and  in  prose 
this  theory  is  discussed  and  rejected.  The  form  of  the  sonnet 
is  a  combination  of  stanza  and  pendulum  structure.  The  latter 
142 


Notes  ^ 

sways  between  one  side  and  the  other  of  a  number  of  antitheses 
or  'oppositions'  (see  Ecclesiasticus  volume,  pages  109,  191  j 
which  are  regarded  as  identical  or  related : 

positive  and  negative 
production  and  destruction 
joy  and  sorrow 
collection  and  dispersion 
speech  and  silence 
love  and  hate. 

Page  17.  To  everything  there  is  a  season,  and  a  time  to  every 
purpose  under  the  heaven.  These  important  words  contain  the 
gist  of  the  theory  of  life  which  this  essay  is  to  review.  Caution 
is  required  to  prevent  the  misunderstanding  of  this  epigram- 
matic statement  of  it.  It  is  natural  to  associate,  as  Plumptre 
and  others  have  done,  the  expression  *  time  and  season '  with 
the  Greek  word  kairos,  which  in  a  particular  phase  of  ancient 
thought  was  as  prominent  as  perhaps  the  word  '  evolution '  is  in 
our  own  day.  But  I  wish  to  show  that  '  time  and  season '  in  the 
present  passage  represent  a  totally  different  set  of  ideas  from 
'  time '  associated  with  other  terms  in  other  parts  of  Ecclesiastes. 

The  idea  underlying  the  special  usage  of  the  Greek  word 
kairos  is  precisely  that  embodied  in  Shakespeare's  familiar 
saying : 

There  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  men 
Which,  taken  at  the  flood,  leads  on  to  fortune  ; 
Omitted,  all  the  remnant  of  their  lives 
Is  bound  in  shallows  and  in  miseries. 
143 


-58  Ecclesiastes 

It  is  part  of  the  fatalism  of  Greek  thought,  but  represents  a 
favourable  aspect  of  fate;  the  drift  of  things  is  irresistible,  but 
an  individual,  by  watching  and  adapting  himself  to  it,  can  make 
irresistible  destiny  achieve  his  purpose.  Hence  the  maxim  of 
Pittacus :  "  Know  the  kairos"  the  opportunity.  Hence,  at  the 
opening  of  Sophocles'  Electra,  Orestes  says  : 

The  true,  right  titne  is  come, 
The  mightiest  master  of  all  works  of  men. 

The  idea  (in  a  limited  sense)  has  been  allegorised  by  Spenser 
in  his  Occasio  (^Faerie  Qtieene,  II.  iv)  :  the  lame  Hag  — 

Her  lockes,  that  loathly  were,  and  hoarie  gray. 
Grew  all  afore,  and  loosely  hong  unrold ; 
But  all  behinde  was  bald,  and  worne  away. 
That  none  thereof  could  ever  taken  hold:—^ 

for  of  course  we  must  "  take  time  by  the  forelock." 

The  same  idea  seems  to  underlie  the  expression  *  time  and 
judgement '  in  one  of  the  most  difficult  passages  of  the  present 
work.  (Essay  IV,  paragraph  6;  page  41.)  The  whole  para- 
graph (see  the  Syllabus)  seems  to  lay  down  the  doctrine  of 
passive  obedience  or  non-resistance,  and  this  argument  is  used : 

Whoso  keepeth  the  commandment  shall  kno7v  no  evil  thing;  ^ 
and  a  zvise  mapi's  heart  discerneth  time  and  judgement.  For  5 
to  every  purpose  there  is  a  time  and  judgement ;  because  the  J 
misery  of  man  is  great  upon  him,  for  he  knoweth  not  that 
which  shall  be.  For  who  can  tell  him  how  it  shall  be  ?  There 
144 


Notes  ^ 

is  no  man  that  hath  power  over  the  spirit  to  retain  the  spirit; 
neither  hath  he  pozver  over  the  day  of  death;  etc. 

Within  the  limits  of  obedience  to  authority  there  is  safety.  But 
(the  objection  seems  to  occur)  is  not  resistance  to  evil  the  part 
of  the  wdse  man?  The  truly  wise  man  (answers  Ecclesiastes) 
knows  that  resistance  to  evil,  like  every  other  human  action,  is 
limited  by  its  '  time ' ;  and  only  the  hidden  future  will  show  by 
the  event  whether  the  resistance  is  justified  by  success,  or  proves 
a  vain  struggle  against  the  inevitable.  If  this  interpretation  is 
correct,  '  time '  here  is  used  in  the  sense  of  the  Greek  kairos, 
and  this  is  linked  with  the  biblical  judgement^  the  good  or  evil 
of  a  thing  demonstrated  by  the  event. 

Akin  to  this  is  another  passage  of  this  work,  in  which  *  time ' 
enters  into  another  formula.  The  argument  (paragraph  ii  of 
Essay  IV;  page  44)  is  that  the  race  is  not  to  the  swift,  nor  the 
battle  to  the  strong : 

Btct  time  and  chance  happeneth  to  them  all.  For  man  also 
knoweth  not  his  time  :  as  the  fishes  that  are  taken  in  an  evil 
net,  and  as  the  birds  that  are  catight  in  the  snare,  even  so 
are  the  sons  of  men  snared  in  an  evil  time,  when  it  falleth 
suddenly  upon  them. 

This  '  time '  is  the  converse  of  kairos :  the  moment,  not  when 
man  may  master  his  fate,  but  when  his  fate  masters  him. 

But  the  '  time  and  season '  of  Essay  II  represent  a  different 
thought  altogether,  for  which  we  have  to  go  back  to  an  impor- 
tant passage  of  Ecclesiasticiis.     [That  is,  if  we  assume  Ecchsi- 

L  14s 


-^  Ecclesiastes 

asticus  to  be  the  earlier  work;  if  not,  the  passage  is  none  the 
less  a  clear  indication  of  the  theory  of  life  which  both  authors 
notice,  the  one  to  accept  and  the  other  to  reject  it.]  In  the 
Preface  to  Book  IV  the  son  of  Sirach  undertakes  to  give  the 
principles  upon  which  Divine  praise  is  to  be  based. 

All  the  works  of  the  Lord  are  exceeding  good,  and  every 
command  shall  be  accomplished  in  his  season.  None  can 
say,  What  is  this  ?  wherefore  is  that  ?  for  in  his  season  they 
shall  all  be  sought  out.  .  .  .  He  beholdeth  fro77i  everlasting 
to  everlasting,  and  there  is  nothing  ivoyiderful  before  him. 
No7U  can  say,  What  is  this?  wherefore  is  that?  for  all 
things  are  created  for  their  uses.  .  .  .  His  ways  are  plain 
unto  the  holy  ;  so  are  they  stumblingblocks  unto  the  wicked. 

Details  follow  of  things  —  water,  fire,  iron,  salt,  etc.  —  good  for 
the  godly,  for  sinners  turned  into  evil;  winds  and  terrors  that 
shall  be  ready  for  vengeance  in  their  'seasons.' 

Therefore  from  the  beginning  I  was  resolved,  and  I  thought 
this,  and  left  it  in  writing :  All  the  works  of  the  Lord  are 
good ;  and  he  will  supply  every  need  in  its  season.  And 
none  can  say,  This  is  worse  than  that :  for  they  shall  all  be 
well  approved  in  their  season. 

The  writer  is  making  a  formal  reconciliation  between  the  tra- 
ditional adoration  of  the  works  of  the  Lord,  and  the  growing 
difficulty  of  the  recognition  of  evil  in  the  world.  His  reconcilia- 
tion is,  that  there  is  no  absolute  good  or  absolute  evil,  but  that 
146 


Notes  d^ 

all  things  have  their  share  of  good  and  of  evil.  They  are  not  to 
be  looked  at  in  themselves,  but  to  be  *  sought  out '  in  God's 
'  season,'  that  is,  when  his  use  of  them  has  shown  them  as  con- 
taining good  or  containing  evil;  what  he  expresses  in  one  place 
by  '  seasons '  he  expresses  in  another  place  by  '  uses.'  So  far 
does  he  carry  the  argument  that  he  will  not  admit  that  one 
thing  is  '  worse '  [or  better]  than  another  :  it  is  a  question  of  the 
'  season '  of  each. 

\\Thether  the  allusion  be  to  the  work  of  the  son  of  Sirach  or 
not,  this  is  clearly  the  theory  which  Ecclesiastes  here  reviews : 
that  all  things  are  by  their  '  seasons '  demonstrated  to  have  their 
part  in  good.  The  notion  of  an  absolute  good  (or  summwn 
bomini)  has  been  the  thought  of  Essay  I;  now  he  deals  with  the 
other  view,  that  good  is  to  be  looked  for  in  the  Parts  ;  that 
there  are  multa  bona  ;  that  everything  has  a  share  of  good,  and 
that  appreciation  of  life  is  to  be  adjusted  to  this.  The  expres- 
sion 'time  and  season'  is  a  temporal  one;  the  meaning  is  not 
temporal,  but  is  what  we  should  express  by  the  metaphor  of 
place :  "  there  is  a  place  for  all  things  in  our  estimate  of  good." 
Hence  the  total  divergence  from  the  idea  of  the  Greek  kairos. 
The  latter  implies  a  '  season '  which  alone  makes  a  thing  good. 
But  the  *  seasons '  of  Ecclesiasticiis  are  God's  seasons  of  approv- 
ing things  —  seasons  required  only  to  reveal  the  relation  of  a 
thing  with  good  and  with  evil,  which  relation  belongs  to  it 
always.  That  this  is  the  meaning  is  abundantly  clear,  not  only 
from  the  sonnet-like  statement  of  the  theory,  but  also  from  the 
arguments  by  which  it  is  met :  that  the  interest  of  the  '  Parts ' 
does  not  exclude  the  interest  of  the  Whole,  that  the  places  of 

147 


-^  Ecclesiastes 

these  *  Parts '  are  seen  reversed,  that  there  are  '  Parts '  which  can 
have  no  place  in  a  scheme  of  good. 

Page  1 8.  Also  he  hath  set  the  world  in  their  heart.  The 
margin  offers  the  alternative  etertiity  instead  of  world:  either 
expresses  what  is  required,  the  antithesis  of  universal  and  par- 
ticular. The  work  that  God  hath  done,  etc. :  see  above,  page 
132.  On  the  whole  passage  compare  Bacon,  Advancement  of 
Learning,  paragraph  3  of  Book  I.  He  quotes  this  verse  and 
proceeds : 

declaring  not  obscurely,  that  God  hath  framed  the  mind  of 
man  as  a  mirror  or  glass,  capable  of  the  image  of  the  uni- 
versal world,  and  joyful  to  receive  the  impression  thereof,  as 
the  eye  joyeth  to  receive  light;  and  not  only  delighted  in  be- 
holdijtg  tJu  variety  of  things  and  vicissitude  of  times^  but 
raised  also  to  find  out  and  discern  the  ordinances  and 
decrees,  which  throughout  all  those  changes  are  infallibly 
observed.  And  although  he  doth  insinuate  that  the  supreme 
or  summary  law  of  nature^  which  he  calleth  The  work 
which  God  worketh  from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  is  not 
possible  to  be  found  out  by  man  ;  yet  that  doth  not  derogate 
from  the  capacity  of  the  mind.,  but  may  be  referred  to  the 
impediments^  as  of  shortness  of  life,  ill  conjunction  of  la- 
bours^ ill  tradition  of  knozuledge  over  from  hand  to  hand, 
and  many  other  inconveniences,  whereunto  the  condition  of 
man  is  subject. 

The  latter  part  of  this  comment  would  not  have  been  admitted 

by  Ecclesiastes ;    nevertheless  it  is  a  real  answer  to  his  diffi- 

148 


Notes  Q^ 

culty.  The  failure  of  the  Preacher  to  find  harmony  in  the  uni- 
verse is  due  to  his  confinement  of  the  enquiry  to  the  short  life 
of  a  single  thinker ;  the  evil  of  such  limitation  is  pointed  out  by 
the  literary  representative  of  that  Inductive  Philosophy  which  is 
an  organisation  of  all  thinkers,  from  generation  to  generation, 
for  the  solution  of  what  Ecclesiastes  pronounced  insoluble. 

Page  19.  There  is  a  time  there  for  every  purpose  :  tht  there 
is  the  indefinite  future  implied  in  the  preceding  shall:  "God 
shall  judge  the  righteous  and  the  wicked."  The  words  natu- 
rally suggest  judgment  beyond  death.  But  the  important  point 
of  the  passage  is  that  this  is  a  passing  thought,  immediately  re- 
jected in  favour  of  the  other  thought,  that  there  is  nothing  to  sup- 
port such  a  future  for  man  more  than  for  the  brutes.  (See  the 
Syllabus;  and  above  page  xvii.)  No  other  passage  recognises 
any  future  existence  :  the  expression  of  the  final  sonnet,  And  the 
spirit  return  unto  God  who  gave  it,  clearly  means  that  by  death 
man  will  become  what  he  was  before  birth.  On  the  contrary, 
the  negative  of  existence  after  death  is  insisted  upon  in  place 
after  place  of  this  book. 

Page  20.  The  fool  foldeth  his  hands  together^  etc.  I  under- 
stand these  words  as  the  interposition  of  an  imaginary  objector, 
and  the  words  that  follow,  Better  is  an  handful  of  quietness^  etc., 
as  the  rejoinder  of  Ecclesiastes.  Such  citation  of  objections  in 
the  words  of  the  supposed  objector  occurs  more  than  once  in 
Job. 

Miscellanea 

ii.   There  is  no  historical  allusion  here :  it  is  a  maxim  of  gen- 
eral experience  on  the  Vanity  of  Kingship.     Out  of  prison  he 
149 


-^  Ecclesiastes 

came  forth  to  be  king  ;  ysa,  even  in  his  kingdom  he  7uas  born  poor. 
I  understand  by  the  prison  the  womb;  and  for  born  poor  com- 
pare :  "  Naked  came  I  out  of  my  mother's  womb,  and  naked 
shall  I  return  thither."  *  The  thought  of  the  whole  is :  In 
essence,  apart  from  outward  trappings,  the  king  is  as  poor  as 
the  poor  youth :  at  birth  one  was  as  poor  as  the  other.  And 
what  do  these  outward  trappings  amount  to  ?  When  the  old 
king  is  gone,  all  the  world  flocks  to  his  successor;  but  that  suc- 
cessor will  be  equally  forsaken  in  his  turn.  —  The  youths  the  second 
has  no  necessary  reference  to  the  poor  arid  zoise  youth :  the 
main  antithesis  oi  king  &r\d  poor  was  merely  strengthened  by  the 
further  antithesis  of  old  and  foolish  and  youth  and  zvise. 

iii.  A  maxim  founded  upon  an  image  (compare  Ecclesiasticus 
I.  xxii):  pious  volubility  no  better  than  the  talking  in  sleep  of 
an  overw^orked  brain. 

iv.  A  maxim  with  the  text  in  the  middle :  compare  x,  xvii. 
[For  the  maxim  in  general,  compare  the  Ecclesiasticus  volume 
of  this  series,  page  xi.'\  The  saying  puts  two  conceptions  of 
government :  one  looking  upon  the  people  as  a  field  for  extor- 
tion, the  other  upon  the  land  as  a  thing  to  be  developed. 


Essay  fll 

For  the  general  argument  of  this  essay  see  the  Syllabus. 
Page  30.     He  shall  not  much  remember  the  days  of  his  life  ; 
because   God  anstuereth  him  iti  the  joy  of  his  heart.     Cheyne 

*  Similar  words  are  found  in  Essay  III. 
150 


Notes  ^ 


understands :  "  he  will  not  think  much  on  the  (few)  days  of  his 
life."  and  this  is  a  simple  explanation.  On  the  whole,  however, 
I  prefer  a  different  interpretation.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
it  is  a  fixed  idea  of  the  book  that  natural  happiness  is  the  direct 
and  special  gift  of  God  to  the  individual.  Such  an  individual 
will  not  "  take  much  thought  for  his  life  "  :  the  happiness  comes 
in  answer  to  his  prayers  almost  before  they  are  offered.  This  is 
confirmed  by  the  corresponding  passage  in  Essay  IV  (page  44) ; 
especially  note  the  word  already  : 

Go  thy  zvay,  eat  thy  bread  zuith  joy,  and  drink  thy  wine  with 
a  merry  heart ;  for  God  hath  already  accepted  thy  works. 

The  picture  is  one  of  simple  happiness,  free  from  the  burden  of 
thought. 

Page  30.  All  the  labour  of  man  is  for  his  motith  :  compare 
Proverbs  II.  ccx.  The  word  mouth  is  a  formula  for  desire  or 
natural  wants :  compare  the  similar  formulae  above,  page  133.  — 
For  what  advantage  hath  the  wise  man  more  than  the  fool,  etc. : 
that  is,  they  both  have  the  same  natural  necessities. 

Page  30.  His  name  was  given  him  long  ago  .  .  .  Man. 
The  remark  rests  upon  the  ancient  idea  of  a  name  as  a  formula 
of  definition.     Thus  limitation  is  inherent  in  a  man's  humanity. 


Miscellanea 

V,  vii.    These  two  maxims  must  be  taken  together,  though  the 
proverb  separating  them  clearly  has  no  connection  with  them. 
151 


-^  Ecclesiastes 

The  thought   rests  upon  a   series  of  'oppositions'   (compare 
above,  page  143,  and  Ecclesiasiicus  II.  xxxix)  : 

The  good  name  (only  es-  Ointment,  the  symbol  of  the 

tablished  at  death)  feast  {Psabn  xxiii.  5) 

Mourning  and  rebuke  Laughter  and  song 

Death    (summing  up   the  Birth  (commences  opportunity 

whole  life)  for  feasting) 
The  end  The  beginning 
Patience  (looking  to  the  Anger    (the    impatience    that 
end  of  things)  does    not    wait    to    prove 
things) 
The   former  days  (which  The  present  days  (and  there- 
can  be  seen  as  wholes)  fore  seen  imperfectly) 

viii.  The  excellency  of  knowledge  is  that  wisdom  preserveth 
the  life  of  hi7n  that  hath  it.  Both  wisdom  and  money  defend 
against  external  attack,  but  wisdom  also  affects  the  life  itself  — 
that  is  eu  zen,  not  zen  only,  the  life  of  character. 

ix.  God  hath  even  made  the  one  [prosperity]  side  by  side  with 
the  other  [adversity],  to  the  end  that  man  should  not  find  out 
anything  that  shall  be  after  him.  This  is  presented  as  the  re- 
flection which  is  proper  for  adversity.     With  it  compare  : 

There  is  nothing  better  than  that  a  ??ian  should  rejoice  in 
his  works  ;  for  that  is  his  portion  :  for  who  shall  bring  him 
back  to  see  what  shall  be  after  him  ?  (^11^ . 

For  who  knoiveth  what  is  good  for  man  in  his  life,  .  .  . 
for  who  can  tell  a  man  what  shall  be  after  him  under  the 
sun?  {III). 


Notes  8€- 

The  misery  of  man  is  great  upon  him,  for  he  knoweik  not 
thai  which  shall  be.  For  who  can  tell  him  how  it  shall  be  ? 
There  is  no  man  that  hath  poiver  over  the  spirit,  to  retain 
the  spirit;  etc.  (/K). 

These  passages  read  together  bring  out  how  the  impossibility 
of  man's  reading  the  future  is  one  of  the  fixed  ideas  of  Ecclesi- 
astes.  This  seems  to  give  a  clew  to  one  of  the  sources  of  his 
intellectual  despair.  He  belongs  to  a  stage  of  philosophic 
development  which  has  just  grasped  the  crushing  thought  of 
•law.'  or  invariable  sequence,  in  nature  and  human  events.  To 
us,  such  law  seems  to  imply  power  of  foreseeing  the  future 
when  the  laws  of  things  have  been  traced.  But  this  would  con- 
flict with  a  more  fundamental  conception  of  the  Hebrew  mind 
—  the  inscrutability  of  the  Creator,  which  plays  such  an  im- 
portant part  in  the  earlier  speeches  of  Job  in  answer  to  the 
Friends.  Accordingly  Ecclesiastes  seems  to  recognise  an  ele- 
ment of  the  incalculable  in  Divine  providence,  sufficient  to 
defeat  all  efforts  to  foresee :  and  thus  man  has  the  double 
•misery'  of  perceiving  law,  and  yet  being  powerless  to  secure 
the  event  by  acting  on  law.  So  the  sense  of  the  present 
maxim  is :  If  your  [wise]  action  results  in  prosperity,  be  glad 
of  it ;  if  notwithstanding  all  your  wisdom  adversity  comes, 
remember  this  is  the  incalculable  dispensation  of  the  Creator, 
without  which  man  would  be  able  to  read  into  the  future. 

X.    This  is  a  maxim  with  the  text  in  the  middle   (compare 

iv,  xvii) ;  moreover,  it  is  unique  in  having,  not  a  couplet,  but  a 

sextett  for  text.  —  Be  not  righteous  over  much   .    .    .  yea,  also 

from  that  [wickedness]  withdraw  not  thine  hand,  etc.     Some 

153 


-59  Ecclesiastes 

readers  are  shocked  at  this  sentiment;  others  (like  Plumptre) 
would  explain  away  the  words  by  *  gentle  irony,'  or  otherwise,  I 
see  no  difficulty.  Here,  as  in  so  many  other  sayings,  Ecclesi- 
astes is  simply  reading  into  the  form  of  precepts  the  mysteries 
of  providential  dealings.  The  fact  of  providential  dispensation 
that  the  scrupulously  just  may  yet  fail,  and  the  unscrupulous 
achieve  good  results,  is  here  made  a  basis  for  conduct.  The  his- 
tory of  Israel  has  many  cases  in  which  treacherous  assassination 
has  worked  the  deliverance  of  God's  people  :  with  such  a  thought 
in  his  mind  our  author  says  that  even  from  wickedness  the  wise 
man  may  not  be  able  wholly  to  withdraw  his  hand.  But  he  im- 
mediately adds  the  corrective :  in  this  perplexity  of  providential 
dispensation  "  the  fear  of  the  Lord  "  for  motive  is  the  safe  guide. 
For  the  reputation  of  the  Preacher  it  is  fair  to  put  side  by  side 
with  this  the  opposite  principle  in  Essay  IV  (paragraph  7,  page 
42)  :  in  spite  of  this  same  providential  mystery  he  clings  to  the 
idea  that  it  is  well  with  the  righteous  and  ill  with  the  unpunished 
sinner. 

xi.  Wisdom  is  a  strength  .  .  .  more  than  ten  rulers  which  are 
in  a  city.  It  is  clear  that  the  word  ruler  cannot  here  mean  a 
supreme  ruler;  for  the  multiplication  of  such  by  ten  would  be 
the  opposite  of  an  advantage.  The  *  rulers  '  must  be  the  king's 
officers  or  agents,  and  then  the  meaning  of  the  maxim  is  clear : 
wisdom  in  the  king  is  better  than  the  multiplication  of  officers, 
for  it  is  a  mistake  to  punish  small  offences,  nor  is  it  well  for  the 
king  to  be  informed  of  everything  that  goes  on. 
154 


Notes  B^ 


Essay  IV 

For  the  general  argument  of  the  essay  see  the  Syllabus. 

Page  41.  /  said^  I  will  be  wise;  but  it  -was  far  from  me 
.  .  .  /  turned  about,  and  my  heart  was  set  .  .  .  to  search  out, 
etc.  These  words  contain  the  purpose  of  the  essay,  and  make 
clear  its  difterence  from  Essay  I.  The  words  imply  two  stages 
of  thought  (compare  above,  page  133)  :  the  first  (like  Essay  I) 
recognises  the  hopelessness  of  solving  the  mystery  of  things; 
then  another  suggests  the  possibility  of  a  partial  or  tentative 
solution :   and  this  Essay  IV  follows  out. 

Page  41.  They  have  sotight  out  many  inventions  :  the  antith- 
esis is  between  moral  and  utilitarian.  A  commentary  on  this 
saying  of  Ecclesiastes  is  the  common  reflection  of  modern 
v,-riters  that  a  man  will  endure  insinuations  against  his  moral 
character  with  more  equanimity  than  suggestions  of  his  mental 
incompetence. 

Page  41.  I  counsel  thee,  keep  the  king's  command,  and  that 
in  regard  of  the  oath  of  God.  The  general  doctrine  of  passive 
obedience  or  non-resistance  :  the  same  combination  of  thoughts 
as  in  Romans  xiii.  1-7,  though  of  course  St.  Paul  is  providing  for 
a  very  different  situation  ot'  things  —  a  'kingdom  not  of  this 
world '  in  the  midst  of  secular  rule.  Whoso  keepeth  the  com- 
mandment shall  know  no  evil  thing,  etc.  For  this  difficult  pas- 
sage see  above,  page  144. 

Page  42.  And  withal  I  saw  the  wicked  buried,  etc.  This 
passage  becomes  clear  when  the  paragraphs  are  arranged  as  in 
the  text  (see  also  the  Syllabus).  The  thought  is:  There  is  a 
155 


-^  Ecclesiastes 

time  when  an  individual  has  the  power  to  oppress  another;  the 
wicked  oppressor  dies  and  is  buried;  similarly  the  righteous 
victim  is  taken  away  [by  death]  from  the  holy  place  and  the 
city :  both  have  the  same  end,  and  the  sight  of  this  *  vanity '  of 
providence  encourages  sin.  This  is  strikingly  parallel  to  a  diffi- 
cult saying  in/od  (chapter  xxi.  29)  :  the  two  passages  explain 
one  another. 

J/ave  ye  not  asked  them  that  go  by  the  way  ? 

And  do  ye  not  know  their  tokens  ? 

That  the  evil  man  is  spared  in  the  day  of  calamity  ?. 

That  they  are  led  away  in  the  day  of  wrath  ? 

Who  ■shall  declare  his  way  to  his  face  ? 

And  who  shall  repay  him  what  he  hath  done  ? 

Moreover  he  is  borne  to  the  grave. 

And  they  shall  keep  watch  over  his  tomb  ; 

The  clods  of  the  valley  are  sweet  unto  him^ 

And  all  men  draw  after  him. 

Both  passages  are  concerned  with  the  providential  mystery  of 
the  oppressor  and  wicked  man  honoured  in  the  time  of  their 
death.  —  Though  a  sinner  do  evil  .  .  .  yet  surely  I  know,  etc. 
A  paradox:  in  spite  of  appearances,  it  is  not  so;  or  in  spite  of 
individual  cases,  the  principle  of  judgment  on  the  wicked  is 
sound.  The  importance  of  the  passage  is  the  maintenance 
of  moral  principle  side  by  side  with  complete  scepticism  as 
to  understanding  the  mystery  of  God's  ways.  (Introduction, 
page  xxii.) 

Page  43.      Then  I  commended  mirch,  etc. :  for  mirth,  eat  and 
156 


Notes  B^ 

drink,  etc.,  see  above,  page  134.  The  point  of  commended  is, 
that  this  seems  an  inevitable  deduction  from  the  facts. 

Page  43.  The  business  that  is  done  tipon  the  earth  .  .  .  a/l 
the  work  of  God :  for  these  phrases  see  above,  page  132. 

Page  44.  Madness  is  in  their  heart  while  they  live  :  this  does 
not  apply  to  the  wicked  only,  but  to  all;  madness  being  one  of 
the  synonyms  of  laughter  (as  well  as  of  folly)  in  Essay  I. 

Page  44.  God  hath  already  accepted  thy  works  :  for  the  im- 
portance of  this  thought  in  the  whole  argument,  see  Introduc- 
tion, page  xix.  For  already  compare  above,  page  15 1.  All  the 
days  of  thy  vanity,  etc, :  the  point  of  these  impressive  reiterations 
is  the  same  as  that  of  Essay  V :  the  briefness  of  life  is  reason  for 
appreciating  to  the  full  what  is  given. 

Page  44.  Time  and  cha7ice  happeneth  to  them  all  .  .  .  for 
man  also  kuozveih  not  his  time :  see  above,  page  145. 

Miscellanea 

XXii.  Yet  man  knoweth  not  what  shall  be  :  see  above,  page  152. 

xziv.  Thy  princes  eat  in  the  morning:  compare  such  pas- 
sages as  Acts,  chapter  ii.  15;   Isaiah,  chapter  v.  ii. 

XXX.  According  to  the  structure  of  an  epigram  {Proverbs  vol- 
ume, page  xxii)  the  two  lines  standing  out  to  the  left  ought  to  con- 
tain a  couplet  proverb  complete  in  itself.  In  substance  this  prin- 
ciple is  carried  out  here  ;  only  the  nouns  of  the  preceding  lines 
need  substituting  for  the  pronouns;  thus  the  form  would  be : 

Full  rain  clouds  empty  the7n selves  upon  the  earth, 
And  the  tree,  where  it  fallcth,  there  shall  it  be. 
157 


•^  Ecclesiastes 

The  saying  puts  the  thought  of  irresistible  necessity,  as  in  the 
prologue. 

xxxii.  For  an  interesting  parallel  compare  Psalm  cxxxix. 
13-16. 

Essay  V 

For  the  general  argument  see  the  Syllabus.  Compare  also 
Introduction,  page  xx. 

Page  57.  Btit  know  thou  that  for  all  these  things  God  will 
bring  thee  into  Judge?nent.  This  is  not  (i)  an  ironical  challenge : 
revel  away,  but  the  judgment  will  come  down  upon  thee. 
(2)  Nor  a  reference  to  any  *  day  of  judgment'  in  the  far 
future.  It  is  the  main  positive  thought  of  the  book  that  happi- 
ness is  God's  best  gift;  but  it  must  be  happiness  with  a  sense  of 
responsibility;  for  their  enjoyment,  as  for  everything  else,  men 
must  be  prepared  to  give  account.  Throughout  the  O.  T.  the 
word  'judgment'  implies  the  irreconcilable  antagonism  of  good 
and  evil,  the  recognition  of  which  makes  responsibility.  This 
passage  by  itself  is  sufficient  to  differentiate  the  'joy'  of  our 
author  from  the  abandon  of  the  reveller. 

Sonnet.  The  form  of  this  sonnet  is  the  pendulum  structure 
(^Proverbs  volume,  page  166)  :  the  middle  lines  put  symbolic 
descriptions  of  old  age;  the  left  hand  lines  drop  the  symbolism 
and  speak  in  plain  terms.  [The  lines  indented  on  the  extreme 
right  are  subordinate  clauses.] 

The  matter  of  the  sonnet  is  a  toiir-de- force  of  symbolism, 
under  which  are  veiled  the  symptoms  of  senile  decay  followed 
158 


Notes  &^ 

by  death.  It  is  very  likely  that  some  of  the  symbols  may  be 
lost;  but  it  is  not  difficult,  without  straining,  to  see  a  possible 
interpretation  for  each;  and  some  of  them  have  passed  into  tra- 
ditional use.  The  poetic  beauty  of  the  passage  is  marvellous. 
It  has,  however,  been  the  subject  of  extraordinary  ingenuity  in 
pressing  details  to  too  literal  significance.  Those  who  are  cu- 
rious are  referred  to  the  notes  of  Plumptre,  or  the  elaborate 
edition  of  Dr.  Ginsburg.  I  attempt  no  more  than  a  simple 
suggestion  for  each  detail. 

Or  ever  the  szm,  and  the  light  .  .  .  be  darkened :  in  view  of 
the  opening  words  of  Essay  V,  which  take  the  '  light '  and  *  sun ' 
as  symbols  of  the  whole  happiness  of  conscious  existence,  it  is 
clear  that  the  darkening  of  this  light  is  the  gradual  failing  of  the 
joy  of  living.  — And  the  clotids  return  after  the  rain  :  an  exqui- 
site symbol,  closely  akin  to  the  last.  In  youth  we  may  overstrain 
and  disturb  our  health,  but  we  soon  rally;  these  are  storms  that 
quickly  clear  up.  In  age  the  rallying  power  is  gone :  "  the 
clouds  return  after  the  rain."  —  The  keepers  of  the  house  shall 
tremble :  Cheyne  understands  of  the  hands  and  arms,  the  trem- 
bling of  which  is  a  natural  accompaniment  of  old  age.  Compare 
in  the  parallel  below  (page  163)  the  withered  fist  knocking  at 
death's  door.  —  The  strong  men  shall  bow  themselves  :  the  stoop- 
ing frame;  the  plural  is  merely  by  attraction  to  'keepers.'  —  The 
grinders  cease  because  they  are  few  :  obviously  of  the  teeth.  — 
Those  that  look  out  of  the  windows  be  darkened :  the  eyes  becom- 
ing dim. —  The  doors  shall  be  shut  in  the  street :  the  general  con- 
nection of  ideas  makes  it  inevitable  that  the  '  folding-doors ' 
should  be  the  javrs;  clenched  jaws  are  so  marked  a  feature  in  the 
159 


-^  Ecclesiastes 

skull  that  it  is  not  difficult  to  associate  them  with  the  picture  of 
old  age.  —  When  the  sound  of  the  grinding  is  low,  and  one  shall 
rise  up  at  the  voice  of  a  bird,  and  all  the  daughters  of  i7iiisic  shall 
be  brought  loiv :  these  must  be  taken  together :  appetite,  sleep, 
and  speech  are  all  feeble.  Grinding  must  be  interpreted  as 
grinders  in  the  previous  part  of  the  sonnet :  the  loud  or  low 
sound  of  such  grinding  may  fitly  typify  the  eagerness  of  appetite 
or  the  reverse.  The  early  waking  or  short  sleeping  of  the  old  is 
well  known.  The  daughters  of  music  are  the  tones  of  the  voice. 
—  They  shall  be  afraid  of  that  which  is  high,  and  terrors  shall  be 
ill  the  way :  the  gait  of  old  age  is,  through  physical  feebleness, 
much  what  the  gait  of  a  person  terrified  is  for  other  reasons. 
Compare  Sackville's  lines : 

Next  saw  we  Dread,  all  trembling  how  he  shook^ 
With  foot  uncertain  proffered  here  and  there. 

The  almond  tree  shall  blossom.,  and  the  grasshopper  shall  be  a 
burden,  and  the  caper-berry  shall  burst :  the  three  are  linked 
together  as  being  images  from  natural  objects,  not  because  of 
their  symbolising  similar  things.  The  blossoming  of  the  almond 
tree  I  believe  to  be  the  sparse  white  hairs  of  age.  It  would  be 
unlikely  that  this  obvious  symptom  should  be  omitted;  and  of 
the  almond  tree  these  two  things  are  estal^lished :  (i)  it  is  the 
first  to  blossom  (and  its  Hebrew  name  is  founded  on  this), 
(2)  though  not  strictly  white  its  blossoms  look  white  by  con- 
trast with  other  blossoms  (see  Sir  W.  Smith's  dictionary  s.v. 
page  97  b).  The  whitish  blossoms  solitary  while  all  is  bare 
around  just  yield  the  image  required.  The  grasshopper  is  evi- 
160 


Notes  B^ 


dently  a  symbol  for  a  small  object,  which  is  nevertheless 
hea\7  to  feeble  age.  The  caper-berry  shall  burst:  the  last 
stage  of  its  decay :  the  failing  powers  at  last  give  way.  And 
then  follows  the  dropping  of  the  symbolism :  "  Man  goeth  to 
his  long  home." 

So  far  we  have  had  symbols  for  failure  of  powers;  now  for 
actual  death  and  dissolution.  Or  ever  the  silver  cord  be  loosed^  or 
the  golden  bowl  be  broken  :  a  symbol  from  the  house-lamp  of  gold, 
suspended  by  a  silver  cord,  suddenly  slipping  its  cord  and  break- 
ing, its  light  becoming  extinguished.  For  boivl  in  this  sense 
compare  Zechariah,  chapter  iv.  2,  3.  —  Or  the  pitcher  be  broken 
at  the  fountain,  or  the  wheel  broken  at  the  cistern  :  these  are  ex- 
quisite symbols  for  the  sudden  and  violent  cessation  of  every-day 
functions.  Compare  the  popular  proverb :  "The  pitcher  goes  to 
the  well  once  too  often."  —  And  the  spirit  return  tinto  God  who 
gave  it :  this  by  analogy  with  the  previous  line  must  be  inter- 
preted to  mean  no  more  than  that  the  man  becomes  just  what 
he  was  before  he  was  born. 

With  this  symbolic  picture  of  Old  Age  may  be  paralleled  an 
elaborate  passage  of  Sackville,  which  it  may  be  interesting  to 
have  side  by  side  with  the  text. 

And  next  iit  order  sad  Old  Age  we  found, 

His  beard  all  hoar,  his  eyes  hollow  and  blind ; 
With  droopi7ig  cheer  still  poring  on  the  ground. 
As  on  the  place  where  nature  him  assigned 
To  rest,  when  that  the  sisters  had  untwined 
His  vital  thread,  and  ended  with  their  knife 
The  fleeting  course  of  fast  declining  life. 
M  161 


-58  Ecclesiastes 

There  heard  we  him  with  broken  and  hollozu  plaint 

Rew  with  himself  his  end  approaching  fast  ; 
And  all  for  nought  his  wretched  mind  torment 
With  szveet  remembrance  of  his  pleasures  past. 
And  fresh  delights  of  lusty  youth  forwaste. 

Recounting  which^  how  would  he  sob  and  shriek^ 
And  to  be  young  again  of  Jove  be  seek. 

But  and  the  cruel  fates  so  fixed  be 

That  time  forpast  cannot  return  again. 
This  one  request  of  Jove  yet  prayed  he  ; 

That  in  such  withered  plight  and  wretched  paitt 
As  eld  (^accompanied  with  his  loathly  train^ 

Had  brought  on  him,  all  were  it  woe  and  grief 
He  might  awhile  yet  litiger  forth  his  life. 

And  not  so  soon  descend  into  the  pit, 

Where  death,  wTien  he  the  mortal  corpse  hath  slain. 
With  retchless  hands  in  grave  doth  cover  it. 
Thereafter  never  to  enjoy  again 
The  gladsome  light,  but  in  the  ground ylain. 

In  depth  of  darkness  waste  and  wear  to  nought, 
As  he  had  never  into  the  world  been  brought. 

But  who  had  seen  him,  sobbing  hozu  he  stood 
Unto  himself,  and  hoiv  he  would  bemoan 

His  youth  forpast,  as  though  it  wrought  him  good 
To  talk  of  youth,  all  xuere  his  youth  foregone  : 
He  would  have  mused,  and  marvelled  much,  xvhereon 
162 


Notes  £^ 

This  wretched  oge  should  life  desire  so  fain ^ 
Aiid  knows  full  well  life  doth  but  length  his  pain. 

Crookback'd  he  was,  tooth  shaken,  and  blear-eyed ; 

Went  on  three  feet,  and  soi7ietimes  crept  on  four  ; 
With  old  lame  bojies  that  rattled  by  his  side, 
His  scalp  all piird,  and  he  with  eld  forlore  ; 
His  wither'' d fist  still  knocking  at  death'' s  door  ; 

lu7}iblifig  and  drivelling  as  he  draws  his  breath  : 
For  brief,  the  shape  and  messenger  of  death.'^ 

Epilogue 

See  the  Syllabus. 

He  pondered.,  and  sotcght  out,  qXz.  .  .  .  of  making  many  books, 
there  is  no  end.  For  the  whole  of  this  paragraph  see  Introduc- 
tion, pages  viii,  ix.  —  God  shall  bring  every  work  into  judge- 
me7tt :  see  above,  page  158. 

*  From  the  Induction  to  the  Mirror  for  Magistrates. 
163 


Syllabus  and  Notes 

TO 

The  Wisdom  of  Solomon 


Syllabus 

Each  paragraph  hi  this  Syllabus  represents  a  paragraph 
in  the  text. 


Discourse  I 

Singleness  of  Heart 

The  Lord  is  found  by  singleness  of  heart  —  crooked  thoughts 
and  murmuring  words  frighten  wisdom  away  —  and  that  which 
holdeth  all  things  together  hears  every  secret  utterance.  The 
final  words,  "a  mouth  that  lieth  destroyeth  a  soul,"  are  the  link 
v/ith  Discourse  11. 

Discourse  II 

Immortality  and  the  Covenant  with  Death 

Death  no  part  of  the  Divine  creation,  for  righteousness  is 
immortal  —  it  has  come  invited  into  the  world  by  the  words  and 
life  of  the  wicked. 

I.  By  their  Words.  —  Monologue  of  the  Ungodly:  despair  of 
aught  beyond  this  life  converting  into  luxury  and  antagonism  to 
the  righteous. 

167 


-^  The    Wisdom    of   Solomon 

2.  By  their  Life :  wickedness  blinds  them  to  the  wages  of 
holiness  —  and  being  thus  of  the  *  portion '  of  the  devil  (whose 
envy  was  the  means  of  death's  entering  into  the  world)  they 
make  trial  of  death. 

The  seeming  death  of  the  righteous  is  only  a  trial  of  them 
—  in  the  time  of  their  visitation  there  awaits  them  splen- 
dour, a  position  in  the  divine  hierarch)^  and  Divine  grace 
and  mercy. 

Digressioji,  —  The  Hopes  of  the  Ungodly  {substitutes  for 
ifnmortality']. —  (i)  Life  in  posterity.  But  the  brood  of 
the  ungodly  is  unstable  and  accursed :  better  is  childlessness 
with  virtue. 

(2)  Long  life.  But  their  old  age  is  without  honour  ;  and 
a  life  cut  short  may  be  a  life  perfected. 

The  ungodly  who  ignore  the  grace  and  mercy  vouchsafed  to 
the  chosen  shall  be  suddenly  overthrown  —  dishonoured  carcases 
among  the  dead  —  in  the  day  of  reckoning  amazed  at  the  sal- 
vation of  their  former  victims. 

Monologue  of  the  Ungodly :  the  derided  righteous  among  the 
saints  —  their  own  great  things  passed  away  without  a  trace  left. 

The  author  breaks  in:  Vanity  of  the  ungodly  hopes  —  immor- 
tality of  the  righteous  —  the  whole  creation  uniting  to  overwhelm 
the  foes  of  God. 

The  personality  of  King  Solomon  is  gradually  assumed  in  a 
final  appeal   to    kings,  as  those  on  whom  will   fall  a  sterner 
judgment   because  of  their  greater  position:    this   makes   the 
transition  to  the  next  discourse. 
168 


Syllabus  ^ 


Discourse  III 

in  the  form  of  a  Dramatic  Monologue 
Solomon's  Winning  of  Wisdom 

Wisdom  meeteth  every  purpose  of  her  seekers  —  from  first 
desire  of  discipline  to  a  final  kingship  by  the  side  of  God. 
Kings  therefore  are  addressed. 

The  author  (identifying  himself  with  wise  King  Solomon)  will 
speak  of  Wisdom  to  his  brother  kings  —  without  grudging,  for 
Wisdom  desires  the  multiplication  of  the  wise. 

He  began  like  all  other  kings,  and  had  to  pray  for  Wisdom  — 
he  preferred  her  to  all  other  good  things. 

Digression.  —  Bzii  in  reality  all  other  good  things  ca?ne 
with  her —  God  gave  him  knowledge  of  all  human  and  ex- 
ternal nattire  in  giving  him  Wisdofn. 

For  Wisdo?n  is  all-pervasive  \jnoral  and  intellectual  Wis- 
dofn  are  one~\  —  an  effulgence  from  everlasting  light  and  an 
image  of  Divine  goodness. 

Her  then  he  sought  as  a  bride :  for  she  would  bring  riches, 
understanding,  experience,  glory  abroad  and  rest  at  home. 

The  mode  of  obtaining  this  Wisdom  he  thought  to  be  prayer 
—  this  thought  was  the  result  of  a  pure  nature  and  under- 
standing. 

Solomon's  Prayer  for  Wisdom.  —  Closing  with  the  impossi- 
bility of  knowing  God's  will  v.ithout  Wisdom,  it  reaches  the 
169 


-^  The    Wisdom    of  Solomon 

thought  that,  when  in  the  past  men  did  right,  it  was  through 
Wisdom  that  they  were  saved :  which  is  the  topic  of  the  next 
discourse. 

Discourse  IV 

The  World  saved  through  Wisdom 

[The  history  included  in  this  discourse  presents  Wisdom 
sometimes  as  subjective,  the  character  of  an  individual  —  and 
sometimes  as  objective,  Divine  Providence  ruling  events.  ] 


Wisdom  protected  Adam 
in  his  loneliness; 


and  appeared  in  his  self- 
conquest,  and  rise  to  the 
dominion  over  all  things. 
Cain  in  his  anger  fell  away 
from  Wisdom ; 


and  Wisdom  kept  him  blame- 
less under  sharpest  trial. 


Lot's  wife,  passing  Wisdom 
by,  perished. 

170 


Wisdom  preserved  the  right- 
eous from  the  Flood. 

Wisdom   called    righteous 
Abraham ; 


Wisdom  found  out  a  de- 
liverance for  righteous  Lot : 


Syllabus  ^ 

Wisdom  guided  Jacob  in 
his  varied  career. 

Wisdom  raised  Joseph  from 
a  dungeon  to  a  sceptre. 

Wisdom  delivered  a  holy 
people  from  their  oppressors: 
entering    into    the   soul   of 
Moses,  so  that  he  withstood 
kings : 

guiding  and  protecting  the 
people  in  their  marvellous 
passage. 

In  the  desert  Wisdom  mar- 
vellously supplied  their  wants. 

[The  supplying  of  water  for  the  thirsty  Israelites  suggests  the 
thought  that  becomes  the  text  for  the  next  discourse.] 


Discourse  V 

Judgments  on  the  Wicked  turning  to  Blessings  for 
God's  People 

1.  Thirst.  —  Water   turned  into   undrinkable   blood  for   the 
Egyptians  —  water  brought  out  of  the  solid  rock  for  the  Israelites. 

2.  Appetite.  —  For  the  Eg)'ptians  a  plague  of  loathly  vermin. 

A.  Digression.  —  Vermin    on    vermin-vjorshippers  :     men 
punished  by  that  in  which  they  sin. 
171 


-^  The   Wisdom    of   Solomon 

A  A.   Digression.  —  Suc/i    measured  punis/utient    {ad- 
monishing to  repentance^  is  the  mercy  of  Omnipotence 
— just  as  again  the  "wicked  inhabitants  of  the  holy  land 
perished  by  little  and  little  through  the  hornets  that  zuere 
forerunners  of  the  co77iing  people  —  by  such  sovereignty 
over  his  strength  God  teaches  his  people  love  of  men,  aiid 
hope  under  chastisement. 
A.   Digression    Resumed.      This    mocking  punishment   of 
vermin  on  vermin-worshippers  meet  for  those  so  far  gone 
in  the  folly  of  idolatry  as  to  worship  zvhat  their  very  enemies 
dishonoured. 

B.  Digression.  —  For  all  idolatry  is  folly,  but  there  are 
degrees  in  its  folly.  —  Least  blamable  are  those  who 
worship  the  works  of  God  in  Nature  —  next,  those  who 
make  gods  out  of  the  works  of  melt's  hands,  silver,  gold, 
painted  wood :  corrupting  what  God  has  created. 

C.   Digression.  —  For  idolatry  is  a  corruption,  and 
not  a  thing  from  the  beginning  nor  destined  to  last. 
—  Origin   of  Idolatry    in    the   vaingloriousness   of 
m.an  :  i??iages  for  re?nejnbrance,  gradually  toming  to 
be  worshipped —  the  ambition  of  the  artist  assisting — 
a  hidden  danger  that  cidminated  in  imaging  the  in- 
communicable Name  —  all  moral  dissolution  follows, 
especially  perjury. 
B.   Digression  Resumed.     The  worshippers  of  our  God 
are  saved  from  the  folly  of  idolatry  —  like  that  of  the 
potter,  treating  life  as  a  fair  for  selling  images  made  out 
of  the  clay  into  which  he  must  soon  return. 
172 


Syllabus  9«- 

A.  Digression  Resumed.  But  the  last  degree  of  f oily  is  that 
of  the  Egyptian  oppressors  :  adding  to  all  other  idolatry  the 
worship  of  things  hateful. 

2  Resumed.  So  the  Egyptians  suffered  from  loathly  vermin  : 
while  for  God's  people  dainty  quails  were  sent  to  satisfy  appetite. 

3.  Noxious  Bites.  —  Locusts  and  flies  plagued  the  enemy 
without  healing  —  the  IsraeHtes  the  serpent  bites  but  admon- 
ished, and  then  salvation  was  found. 

4.  Rain  of  fire  and  hail  destroying  the  food  of  Eg\'pt  —  rain 
of  manna  feeding  the  people  of  God  —  the  same  fire  raging  or 
slackening  its  power  to  work  the  Creator's  will. 

5.  Darkness  imprisoned  the  oppressors. 

To  guide  the  Israelites  night  was  illuminated  by  the  pillar  of 
burning  fire. 

6.  The  Night  of  Deliverance  and  Song  —  a  night  of  destruc- 
tion to  the  firstborn  of  Egypt. 

7.  Death  came  as  a  trial  to  the  righteous,  but  a  champion 
was  soon  found. 

To  the  ungodly  in  their  final  folly  came  a  strange  death  with- 
out mercy. 

Summary,  —  Thus,  reviewing  the  whole  deliverance,  we  see 
the  elements  of  nature  interchange  like  the  notes  of  a  psaltery 
to  magnify  God's  people. 

173 


Notes 

On   Footnotes 

It  is  a  fact  that  writers  of  antiquity  —  Hebrew,  Greek,  Roman 
—  and  English  writers  who  (like  Milton)  composed  under  the 
immediate  influence  of  ancient  literature,  used  parenthetic  sen- 
tences of  length  and  complexity  such  as  would  be  used  by  no 
modern  writer  in  any  language.  To  some  extent  this  reflects  a 
real  difference  in  mental  habits  as  regards  involution  of  thought. 
But  the  difference  is  partly  due  to  an  advance  in  the  mechanism 
by  which  literature  is  presented  to  the  eye.  In  such  matters  as 
punctuation  and  the  use  of  brackets,  and  in  paragraphing,  the 
printed  page  does  far  more  to  assist  the  comprehension  of  the 
subject  matter  than  was  done  by  the  manuscripts  of  antiquity  or 
the  earliest  printed  books.  But  the  most  important  device  of 
this  kind  is  the  'footnote.'  It  is  clear  that  the  footnotes  of 
modern  books  are  no  more  than  parentheses,  removed  to  a 
distance  so  as  not  to  interrupt  the  main  flow  of  the  argument; 
their  matter  has  an  indicated  place  in  the  order  of  the  thought, 
but  their  separation  assists  the  mind  to  hold  the  train  of  thought 
suspended  while  the  subordinate  matter  is  being  taken  in.  It 
seems  to  me,  then,  legitimate  to  apply  this  device  to  some  of 
the  elaborate  parentheses  in  such  a  work  as  Wisdom.  It  is 
175 


-^  The    Wisdom    of   Solomon 

hardly  necessary  to  explain  that  by  putting  such  portions  of  the 
text  into  footnotes  I  am  not  meaning  to  suggest  that  they  are 
*  glosses,'  or  that  they  have  any  less  authority  as  representatives 
of  the  writer's  thought  than  the  rest  of  the  matter.  All  that  is 
meant  is  that  the  passages  so  treated  carry  their  parenthetic  char- 
acter to  the  degree  which  in  a  modern  work  would  be  indicated 
by  the  use  of  footnotes.  To  the  modern  reader,  whose  mental 
attitude  is  determined  by  the  custom  of  such  devices,  this  treat- 
ment seems  a  necessity,  if  such  works  as  Wisdo?n  are  to  be 
appreciated  without  being  weighted  with  an  appearance  of 
awkwardness  which  in  reality  does  not  belong  to  them. 

Title 

The  early  title  is  The  Wisdom  of  Solomon ;  and  in  uncritical 
ages  it  was  supposed  to  be  his  composition.  St.  Jerome  and 
the  Vulgate,  throwing  over  this  tradition,  entitle  it  The  Book  of 
Wisdo7n.  It  is  also  often  cited  (in  ancient  and  modern  litera- 
ture) simply  as  Wisdom. 

Discourse  I 

For  the  argument  see  the  Syllabus. 

The  language  of  Wisdom,  especially  in  the  full  rendering  of 
the  Revised  Version,  is  transparently  clear  ;  the  difficulties  of 
the  book  lie  in  the  argument,  and  especially  in  the  order  of  the 
thought.  Thus,  in  regard  to  this  first  discourse,  while  the  sen- 
tences are  clear,  the  difficulty  is  to  see  any  point  in  the  whole, 
176 


Notes  ^ 

apart  from  the  question  of  the  relation  between  this  work  and 
Ecclesiastes.  The  denunciation  of  crooked  thoughts  and  blas- 
pheming or  murmuring  words  seems  to  have  little  relevance  to 
judges  of  the  earth. 

One  explanation  might  be  this :  the  first  part  of  this  discourse 
deals  with  improper  thoughts,  the  rest  with  improper  words,  the 
opening  words  of  the  following  discourse  speak  of  *  life '  and 
'  works ' :  thus  thoughts,  words,  and  actions  of  evil  are  men- 
tioned before  the  death  they  bring  is  contrasted  with  immortality 
and  righteousness.  But  (i)  there  is  no  symmetry  in  the  whole 
argument  such  as  this  explanation  woidd  suggest.  (2)  It  runs 
counter  to  the  division  into  discourses.  This  division  is  very 
marked,  {a)  The  '  texts '  of  the  first  three  discourses  are  the 
only  independent  sentences  in  the  whole  work;  all  others  being 
bound  into  grammatical  sequences.  If  the  texts  of  the  last  two 
have  particles  connecting  them  with  what  precedes,  yet  these 
sentences  are  so  unmistakable  as  new  departures  that  their 
connection  with  the  preceding  context  simply  illustrates  the 
characteristic  of  form  next  to  be  mentioned.  —  {F)  This  is 
that  the  final  thought  of  each  discourse  directly  leads  to  the 
commencement  of  the  next.    This  is  brought  out  in  the  Syllabus. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  matter  of  this  discourse  receives  point 
at  once,  if  we  understand  a  veiled  attack  on  Ecclesiastes  and 
the  fancied  experiment  of  Solomon. 

Love  righteousness. 
In  singleness  of  heart  seek  ye  him. 
He  is  found  of  them  that  tempt  him  not. 
Crooked  thoughts  separate  from  God. 
N  177 


-5g  The    Wisdom   of  Solomon 

Wisdom  will  not  enter  into  a  soul  that  deviseth  evil^  nor 
dwell  iji  a  body  that  is  held  in  pledge  by  sin. 

All  these  have  direct  relevance  to  the  supposed  experimenter's 
idea  of  *'  laying  hold  on  folly  "  while  his  "  wisdom  remained  with 
him." 

It  may  be  worth  noting  that  Milton's  interpretation  of  the 
temptation  in  Eden  has  the  same  underlying  idea  of  experiment- 
ing in  evil  as  the  supreme  sin. 

Knowledge  of  good ^  bought  dear  by  knowing  ill.     (iv.  222.) 

Let  him  boast 
His  knowledge  of  good  lost,  and  evil  got. 
Happier  had  it  sufficed  him  to  have  knoivn 
Good  by  itself  and  evil  not  at  all.     (xi.  87.) 

What  fear  I  then,  rather.,  what  know  to  fear^ 
Under  this  ignorance  of  good  and  evil  .  .  . 
Here  grows  the  cure  of  all.,  the  fruit  divine. 
Fair  to  the  eye,  invitiiig  to  the  taste. 
Of  virtue  to  make  zvise.     (ix.  773.) 

So  with  regard  to  the  latter  part :  the  idea  of  wisdom  as  a 
spirit  that  loveth  ma?i,  the  denunciation  of  murmjiring,  blas- 
pheniing  lips,  backbiting,  may  well  be  called  forth  by  the  pessi- 
mism of  Ecclesiastes  ;  his  passionate  reduction,  in  the  name  of 
wisdom,  of  human  to  the  level  of  brute  life  seems  a  'blasphemy' 
on  the  "  wisdom  that  loveth  man "  ;  and  his  reiteration  of 
'  vanity '  in  regard  to  every  department  of  human  life  is  a  '  mur- 
muring' and  'backbiting.'  Ecclesiastes  keeps  saying  that  "all 
178 


Notes  Ba- 


things are  vanity  " :  the  present  writer  insists  that  "  that  which 
holds  the  all  things  together"  must  hear  such  slander  of  his 
wisdom. 

Discourse  II 

For  the  argument  of  the  whole  see  the  Syllabus. 

Page  73.  God  made  not  death  .  .  .  righteousness  is  im- 
mortal: compare  below  (page  75)  "God  created  man  for  in- 
corruption,  and  made  him  an  image  of  his  own  proper  being." — 
Ungodly  men  called  death  tinto  them  :  there  is  no  allusion  at 
this  point  to  the  Fall  as  related  in  Genesis  (which  is  introduced 
later  on) ;  the  reference  is  to  the  ungodly  of  the  monologue 
that  immediately  succeeds. — Deeming  him  a  friend  .  .  .  and 
they  made  a  covenant  with  him.  It  is  tempting  to  compare 
Isaiah  (chapter  xx\'iii),  particularly  as  the  present  writer  has 
many  echoes  of  Isaiah.  But  the  '  covenant  with  death '  in  that 
writer  is  a  totally  different  idea. 

Because  ye  have  said.  We  have  made  a  covenant  with  death, 
and  with  hell  are  we  at  agreemejit ;  when  the  overflowing 
scourge  shall  pass  through  it  shall  not  come  unto  us :  .  .  . 
And  your  covejiant  with  death  shall  be  disannulled,  and 
your  agreement  with  hell  shall  not  stand ;  when  the  over- 
flowing scourge  shall  pass  through^  then  ye  shall  be  trodden 
down  by  it. 

In  this  passage  the  covenant  with  death  is  that  he  shall  pass 

them  by  and  take  others.     But  in  Wisdom  the  ungodly,  instead 

of  holding  death  as  something  hostile,  accept  him  for  a  friend, 

179 


-^  The    Wisdom    of  Solomon 


that  is,  fall  in  with  the  fact  that  they  must  die,  and  make  this  the 
basis  for  a  life  of  revelry. 

Pages  73-5.     Monologue  of  the  Ungodly.     The  important 
point  is  the  relationship  of  this  with  Ecclesiastes. 

Neither  hath  he  power  over  the 


None  .  .  .  gave  release  from 
Hades 

The  breath  in  our  nostrils  is 
smoke  .  .  .  the  spirit  shall 
be  dispersed  as  thin  air  . . . 
scattered  as  is  a  mist,  etc. 

The  body  shall  be  turned 
into  ashes 

Our  name  shall  be  forgotten 
in  time,  and  no  man  shall 
remember  our  works 


day  of  death  .  .  .  there  is  no 
discharge  in  that  war 
The  life  of  thy  '  vanity '  {niet- 
aphor  of  '  vapour '  in  re- 
peated forms  ofexpressio7i\ 

The  dust  return  to  the  earth 
as  it  was 

The  memory  of  \the  dead'\ 
is  forgotten  ;  as  well  their 
love,  as  their  hatred  and 
their  envy,  is  now  perished 


The  general  spirit  of  this  first  portion  of  the  monologue  is  even 
more  suggestive  of  Ecclesiastes  than  the  parallel  phrases.  The 
monologue  proceeds :  Come  therefore  and  let  us  enjoy  the  good 
things  that  now  are ;  and  let  us  use  the  creation  with  all  our 
soul  as  youth'' s  possession.  This  is  close  to  the  opening  of  Essay 
V  in  Ecclesiastes ;  and  the  further  expansion  of  it  suggests  the 
Preacher's  "Eat  and  drink,"  etc.  So  This  is  our  portion  echoes 
the  Preacher's  reiteration  of  This  is  his  portion.  The  third  part 
of  the  monologue  passes  on  to  the  oppression  of  the  righteous 
poor.  This  of  course  is  entirely  opposed  to  the  spirit  of  Eccle- 
180 


Notes  B^ 

siastes.  But  it  is  noticeable  that,  in  that  book,  it  was  the  picture 
of  oppression  (Essay  II)  which  suggested  the  thought  of  a  judg- 
ment to  come,  though  the  thought  was  rejected.  The  present 
writer  makes  the  rejection  of  such  future  judgment  lead  directly 
to  the  oppression.  The  general  view  of  the  whole  then  is  that 
the  monologue  is  based,  not  on  the  views  of  Ecclesiastes,  but  on 
the  easy  perversion  of  them  which  (the  author  thinks)  may  be 
made  by  the  ungodly. 

Pages  75-5.     The  true  view  of  the  Death  of  the  Righteous. 
The  conception  includes  these  ideas  : 

The  death  is  only  apparent  \jeemed  to  have  died^ 

It  is  a  chastening,  a  making  trial  of  thetti  (compare  the  idea 

of  the  prologue  to  Job^ . 
It  is  a  sacrifice  they  offer  to  God  \as  a  whole  burnt  offering 
he  accepted  them.     Thus  the  death  of  the  godly  is  brought 
into  line  with  the  whole  institution  of  sacrificial  ritual. 
Compare  St.  Paul's  'living  sacrifice'  in  Ro7nans  xii.  i]. 
There  is  a  tirjie  of  visitation  for  the  righteous,  quite  distinct 
from  the  day  of  reckoning  [below,  page  78 :  They  shall 
come  when  their  sitis  are  reckoned  up]  for  the  wicked : 
when  they  attain  their  true  position  in  some  heavenly 
hierarchy  [^They  shall  judge  nations   (so  Ecclesiasticus 
I.  xiii :  "  He  that  giveth  ear  unto  her  shall  judge  the 
nations")  and  have  do?ninion  over  peoples  :  the  allusion 
may  be  to  such  "  sons  of  God  "  as  appear  in  the  pro- 
logue \.o  Job,  or  in  Psalm  Ixxxii]. 
Page  75.     Because  grace  and  fnercy  are  to  his  chosen:  these 
words  should  be  noted  as  the  exact  point  of  junction  with  the 
181 


-58  The   Wisdom    of  Solomon 

digressions  that  follow :  the  words  are  caught  up  again  as  the 
argument  is  resumed  (page  78). 

Pages  76-8.  This  is  a  Digression  (see  the  Syllabus)  on  the 
Hopes  of  the  Ungodly,  their  substitutes  for  the  Hope  of  Immor- 
tality. Their  hopes  are  two:  (i)  Life  in  posterity,  (2)  Long 
life  in  this  world;  but  the  whole  is  best  considered  together,  as* 
the  ideas  attaching  to  the  two  are  entangled. 

1.  The  brood  of  the  ungodly  is  accursed: 

Their  wives  foolish  :  hence  the  begetting  accursed. 

Children  of  sin  reach  no  maturity  {bastard  slips.,  etc.]  — 
share  the  short-livedness  of  the  wicked  generally  — 
and  their  hopelessness  in  death. 

Thus  the  children  witnesses  to  wickedness  of  the  parents 
[compare  Ecclesiasticus  L  xliv;   and  on  the  general 
subject  IV.  v]. 
Better  than  this  is  childlessness  with  virtue. 

For  the  celibate  and  chaste  a  peculiar  favour  —  and^:  lot 
in  the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord.  [Compare  Isaiah,  chap- 
ter Ivi.  1-8;  and  (?)  Psalm  Ixxiii.  17,  where  a  similar 
phrase  is  used  in  connection  with  the  kindred  problem 
of  prosperous  wickedness.] 

[If  there  be  children]  :  the  root  of  understanding  cannot 
fail. 

Childlessness  and  virtue :  universal  recognition  of  virtue 
and  immortal  memory. 

2.  The  ungodly  setting  their  hopes  in  long  life. 

They  shall  be  requited  even  as  they  reasoned  [taken  at 
their  word:  "Our  life  is  short,"  etc.]. 
182 


Notes  S«*- 

Toils,  hope,  works,  unprofitable. 
Whereas  the  life  cut  short  may  be  the  life  perfected. 

Good  labours  have  fruit  of  great  renown. 

In  the  memory  of  virtue  is  immortality. 

Honourable  old  age  —  not  in  years  alone  —  but  in  the  un- 
spotted life. 

Perfection  quickly  reached  —  snatched  away  for  fear  of 
spoiling. 

When  dead,  the  good  are  none  the  less  a  condemnation 
of  the  ungodly  living.     [Page  78  :  footnote.] 

Page  76  :  footnote.  These  sentences  are  not  necessary  to 
the  general  drift  of  the  paragraph;  but  are  a  special  enlarge- 
ment of  the  idea  "  accursed  begetting." 

Page  78  :  footnote.  The  only  possible  way  of  finding  a  place 
for  these  sentences  is  to  understand  them  as  a  footnote  exegeti- 
cal  of  the  idea  in  the  word  *  visiteth ' :  even  though  dead  the 
righteous  man  convicts  the  wicked  of  not  understanding  a  visi- 
tation of  God. 

Pages  78-80.  The  Overthrow  of  the  Ungodly :  partly  a 
monologue  (in  quotation  marks),  partly  the  words  of  the  author. 
The  end  of  the  wicked : 

Sudden  and  hopeless  overthrow  [in  this  life]. 

Dishonour  among  the  dead,  and  anguish. 

Their  memory  on  earth  shall  perish. 

[A  day]  when  their  sins  are  reckoned  up  [comparison  with 
paragraph  on  pages  75-6  makes  this  different  from  the 
*  time  of  visitation '  of  the  righteous]  :  they  miserably 
183 


-5S  The    Wisdom    of  Solomon 

recognise   the  triumph  of  their  despised  victims,  and 
blindness  of  their  own  hopes. 
[Their  further  future  left  untouched :  see  next  note.] 

Page  80.  He  shall  take  his  jealousy  as  cornplete  armour, 
etc.  This  brilliant  description  appears  not  to  relate  to  the  over- 
throw of  the  ungodly  who  have  been  presented  as  rising  from 
the  dead  and  mourning  their  folly.  Those  overthrown  in  this 
passage  are  represented  by  the  general  term  his  enemies :  and 
the  final  words,  So  shall  lawlessness  make  all  the  land  desolate, 
and  their  evil  doing  shall  overturn  the  thrones  of  princes,  con- 
nect the  destruction  with  those  who  are  yet  living  on  earth  to 
be  affected  by  it.  It  thus  appears  to  be  a  general  destruction 
directed  against  what  might  be  called  the  empire  of  evil  on 
earth.  The  necessity  (according  to  the  scheme  of  the  book)  of 
making  the  close  of  this  discourse  join  on  to  the  next  has  led 
the  writer  to  leave  the  subject  of  the  *  ungodly '  treated  so  far, 
and  pass  suddenly  to  that  which  affects  'princes,'  such  as  in  the 
next  discourse  King  Solomon  will  directly  address. 

Thus  the  idea  of  Judgment,  which  in  Wisdom  literature  gen- 
erally is  a  principle  undetermined  by  time  or  place,  in  the  present 
writer  covers  four  distinct  incidents:  (i)  The  overthrow  [in 
death]  of  the  individual  sinner;  (2)  His  'day  of  reckoning' 
beyond  the  grave  [the  future  beyond  that  day  left  blank] ;  (3) 
The  '  time  of  visitation '  for  the  righteous,  when  their  seeming 
death  is  changed  for  a  glorious  position  in  a  Divine  hierarchy; 
(4)  A  supernatural  overthrow  of  the  powers  of  evil  on  earth. 
The  'day  of  the  Lord'  in  prophetic  literature  sometimes  com- 
bines (i)  an  immediate  vindication  of  the  chosen  people,  the 
184 


Notes  S«- 

e-dl  amongst  them  being  sifted  out;  and  (2)  a  final  overthrow 
of  '  the  nations,'  with  the  chosen  people  left  supreme.  The 
prophecy  of  Joel  is  a  clear  t\'pe. 

The  details  of  this  description  seem  like  an  enlargement 
from  the  similar  interposition  for  judgment  in  Isaiah,  chapter 
Hx.  17-20. 

Discourse  III 

For  the  general  argument  see  the  Syllabus. 

Page  85.  She  forestalleth  them,  etc.:  for  the  general  spirit 
of  this  passage  compare  Ecclesiasticus  I.  xiii,  xxiv,  1.  —  ^S"^  then 
desire  of  Wisdom  promoteth  to  a  kingdom  :  this,  taken  with  the 
words  immediately  preceding,  bringeth  near  to  God,  seems  to 
make  kingdom  refer  to  the  position  in  the  Divine  hierarchy  men- 
tioned in  the  preceding  discourse. 

Page  85.  /  ivill  not  hide  mysteries  from  you  .  .  .  emy 
shall  have  no  fellowship  with  wisdom,  but  a  multitude  of  wise 
men  is  salvation  to  the  world  :  this  (especially  in  a  book  written 
in  Greek)  must  be  a  stroke  directed  at  the  *  Mysteries,'  or  con- 
finement of  doctrine  to  the  Initiated,  which  was  a  feature  of 
early  Greek  thought.  Compare  the  use  of  the  word  throughout 
the  New  Testament  (especially  Ephesiatis,  chapter  iii.  9).  There 
is  no  corresponding  word  in  the  Old  Testament. 

Pages  85-8.  These  two  paragraphs  constitute  a  digression 
(see  the  Syllabus),  after  which  the  idea  of  seeking  '  her '  as  a 
bride  is  resumed. —  With  her  there  came  to  me  all  good  things 
.  .  .  she  was  the  mother  of  them  :  compare  Proverbs  I,  v,  \-i;  and 
especially  sections  5  and  6  of  I.  xvii.  —  To  know  the  constitution 
185 


-^S  The    Wisdom    of   Solomon 

of  the  world,  etc.:  for  the  whole  of  this  passage  compare  Intro- 
duction, page  XXX.  The  successive  clauses  are  intended  as  a  sum- 
mary of  the  various  branches  of  v^'hat  we  should  call  *  Natural 
History'  \thoiights  of  men  would  mean  anthropological  rather 
than  ethical  science].  A  foundation  for  the  attribution  of  this 
to  Solomon  would  be  I  Kings,  chapter  iv.  t^'^.  But  the  probable 
significance  of  this  is,  not  natural  science,  but  wise  sayings 
founded  on  things  of  the  animal  or  vegetable  world :  fables, 
apologues,  riddles  (compare  such  sayings  of  Agur  as  Proverbs 
V.  vi,  viii,  xi,  xii).  There  is  no  tradition,  or  trace  in  Wisdom 
literature,  of  the  application  of  analysis  to  external  nature  for  its 
own  sake  before  the  present  passage.  (Introduction,  page  xxx.) 
—  All  things  that  are  either  secret  or  manifest :  possibly  there  is 
another  reference  here  to  the  *  mysteries,'  or  knowledge  of  the 
initiated ;  but  the  phrase  may  be  general,  as  in  Ecclesiasticus  I. 
viii :  "  The  things  that  have  been  commanded  thee,  think  there- 
upon; for  thou  hast  no  need  of  the  things  that  are  secret."  It 
is  natural  to  compare  Deuteronomy,  chapter  xxix.  29 :  but  there 
the  reference  is  probably  confined  to  secret  sin  and  visible  judg- 
ment.—  For  in  her  there  is  a  spirit  quick  of  tinder  standing . 
this  celebration  of  Wisdom  is  the  counterpart  in  the  present 
book  of  the  monologues  of  Wisdom  in  Proverbs  (I.  xvii)  and 
Ecclesiasticus  (Preface  to  Book  II),  and  of  the  well-known 
passage  in  Job,  chapter  xxviii.  Its  position  in  the  argument 
is  to  identify  objective  wisdom  \j71irror  of  the  working  of  God'\ 
with  subjective  wisdom  \image  of  his  goodness^.  Compare  Intro- 
duction, pages  xxx-xxxi. 

Pages  88-92.     These  paragraphs  resume  the  general  purpose 
186 


Notes  ^ 

of  the  discourse :  to  found  on  the  historic  Prayer  of  Gibeon 
i^I  Kings,  chapter  iii)  an  incident  of  Solomon's  gaining  of  wis- 
dom by  prayer  and  the  gift  of  God,  to  counterpoise  the  imagi- 
nary incident  of  Solomon's  search  for  wisdom  in  Essay  I  of 
Ecdesiastes.  —  A  good  soul  fell  to  my  lot;  7iay  rather,  being 
good,  I  came  into  a  body  ujidefiled.  This  much-disputed  pas- 
sage is  important  in  theology  rather  than  in  literary  interest,  on 
account  of  its  bearing  upon  the  question  of  the  pre-existent  soul. 
It  may  be  remarked,  however,  that  in  any  case  it  betrays  rather 
than  conveys  a  view  on  that  subject :  in  the  general  argument 
of  the  passage  its  only  force  is  that,  good  as  he  knew  himself  to 
be,  he  yet  felt  that  he  could  obtain  true  wisdom  only  by  prayer. 


Discourse  IV 

For  the  argimient,  and  relation  to  the  other  discourses,  see 
the  Syllabus.  Compare  Introduction,  page  xxxi.  —  She  shewed 
him  God^s  kingdom  :  a  reference  to  Jacob's  Vision  of  God  and 
the  Angels,  and  his  exclamation,  '*  This  is  the  gate  of  heaven  " 
{Genesis,  chapter  xxviii).  — From  those  that  lay  in  wait  she  kept 
hi?7i  safe :  an  allusion  to  the  appeasing  of  the  wrath  of  Esau.  — 
Oz'er  his  sore  conflict :  the  mysterious  *  wrestling '  of  Jacob 
(Genesis,  chapter  xxxii). 

Discourse  V 

For  the  argument,  and  the  Chain   of  Digressions,   see  the 
Syllabus,  and  compare  Introduction,  page  xxxiii. 
187 


-5S  The    Wisdom    of  Solomon 

Page  loi.  To  rebuke  the  decj-ee  for  the  slaying  of  babes  :  here 
(as  in  Instance  II)  the  idea  of  '  nemesis '  is  added  to  the  main 
argument :  the  bloody  river  was  fit  retribution  on  the  shedders 
of  innocent  blood.  —  Having  she-Mti  them  by  the  thirst  which 
they  had  suffered  hozv  thoji  didst  punish  the  adversaries.  This 
is  a  corollary  to  the  main  argument.  The  main  thought  is,  what 
punished  the  foe  became  blessings  to  God's  people;  the  corol- 
lary is,  that  God's  people  experienced  the  punishment  in  question 
just  enough  to  appreciate  the  punishing  of  the  foe,  and  no  more. 
—  Yea,  and  %vhether  they  were  far  off  from  the  righteous  or  near 
them,  etc.  The  thought  of  this  obscure  passage  is :  The  Egyp- 
tians suffered,  when  the  Israelites  were  with  them  [the  plague 
of  water  changed  to  blood],  and  when  they  were  far  away  [by 
the  news  of  the  rock  yielding  water  to  quench  thirst] ;  in  the 
latter  case  a  double  grief  took  hold  of  them,  [the  deliverance  of 
their  foe]  and  the  mortifying  memory  of  their  own  unrelieved 
thirst :  when  they  realised  that  water,  in  which  they  had  suffered 
punishment,  had  been  made  a  miraculous  blessing  to  the  enemy, 
they  felt  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  Even  in  the  first  case  they 
left  off  mocking  Moses;  but  in  this  final  manifestation  they  could 
only  marvel,  and  think  how  very  different  their  own  thirst  had 
been. 

Page  102.  That  they  might  learn,  etc.  I  have  thought  it 
best  to  represent  here  the  abrupt  commencement  of  a  para- 
graph in  the  middle  of  a  sentence :  a  solecism  of  style  just  fit- 
ting in  with  the  unique  use  of  digressions  in  this  book.  (See 
the  Syllabus.)  The  sentences  preceding  this  break  of  the  para- 
graph are  not  carried  sufficiently  far  to  make  the  argument 
i88 


Notes  6«- 

appear.  The  argument  is  resumed,  after  the  Chain  of  Digres- 
sions, on  page  1 12,  Before  the  break  the  author  has  only  men- 
tioned irrational  vermin  sent  upon  the  Eg}-ptians;  after  the 
digression  he  contrasts  this  torment  with  the  dainty  food  sent  to 
satisfy  the  appetite  of  the  Israelites  ;  only  when  the  two  are  put 
together  is  the  argument  apparent,  that  appetite  is  the  point 
which  was  made  a  punishment  to  the  one  and  a  joy  to  the 
other. 

This  paragraph  commences  digression  A  of  the  Syllabus  ; 
from  which  B  is  a  further  digression,  and  C  is  a  digression  from 
B  ;  then  B  digression  is  resumed,  then  A  is  resumed,  and  finally 
the  argument  (Instance  II  of  the  principle  of  the  text)  is  re- 
covered. But  in  this  digression  A,  which  is  on  the  topic  that 
men  are  punished  in  that  wherein  they  have  sinned,  there  is  a 
digression  (AA)  that  such  measured  punishment  is  the  mercy 
of  Omnipotence  ;  after  which  digression  A  is  resumed  and  con- 
cluded. All  this  subordination  is  represented  to  the  eye  in  the 
Syllabus;  and  in  these  notes  the  commencement  of  each  section 
is  indicated. 

Page  102.  For  to  be  greatly  strong  is  thine:  these  words 
commence  Digression  AA.  (See  Syllabus.)  For  the  sentiment 
compare  Ecclesiasticus  I.  liii  (page  55). 

Page  105.  Wherefore  also  the  unrighteous  .  .  .  thou  didst 
torment  through  their  own  abominations  :  at  this  point  is  resumed 
Digression  A:  the  vermin  coming  as  nemesis  upon  vermin- 
worshipping  Eg}'ptians.  —  As  unto  tmreasoning  childreji,  etc.: 
this  is  a  thought  added  to  the  main  thought  of  the  digression : 
the  vermin  plague  on  vermin-worshippers  was  a  childlike  correc- 
189 


-53  The    Wisdom    of   Solomon 

tion,  but  when  this  was  slighted  there  came  real  destruction  on 
the  Egyptians. 

Page  105.  For  verily  all  men  by  nature  zuere  but  vain  who 
had  no  perception  of  God :  here  commences  Digression  B.  (See 
the  Syllabus.)  It  is  occupied  with  the  degrees  in  the  folly  of 
idolatry. — Let  them  know  how  much  better  thaji  these  is  their 
Sovereign  Lord:  the  whole  passage  is  founded  on  the  widely 
diffused  tradition  of  Abraham,  which  is  thus  given  in  the 
Qur^an  vi.  75. 

Thus  did  we  show  Abraham  the  kingdom  of  heaven  and 
of  the  earth,  that  he  should  be  of  those  who  are  sure.  And 
whe7t  the  night  overshadowed  hi?n  he  saw  a  star  and  said, 
*^This  is  my  Lord^\-  but  zvhen  it  set  he  said,  "/  love  not 
those  that  set.^^  And  when  he  saw  the  moon  beginning  to 
rise  he  said,  "This  is  my  Lord'''' ;  but  when  it  set  he  said, 
"If  God  my  Lord  guides  me  not  I  shall  surely  be  of  the 
people  who  err."  And  when  he  saw  the  sun  beginning  to 
rise  he  said,  "This  is  my  Lord,  this  is  greatest  of  all";  but 
when  it  set  he  said,  "O  my  people  I  verily,  I  am  clear  of 
what  ye  associate  with  God ;  verily,  I  have  turned  my  face 
to  hiin  who  originated  the  heaven  and  the  earth." 

Page  106.  Yea,  and  if  some  woodcutter,  etc.  Though  such 
idolatry  is  a  common  topic  of  Hebrew  literature,  yet  this  passage 
seems  inspired  by /r^m>^,  chapter  xliv.  12-20:  besides  the  em- 
phasis on  using  the  residue  to  make  the  god,  there  is  the  notice- 
able phrase  (after  the  further  digression,  page  iii):  his  heart 
190 


Notes  ^ 


is  ashes  (Isaiah's :  "  he  feedeth  on  ashes,  a  deceived  lieart  hath 
turned  him  aside"). 

Page  107  :  footnote.  This  is  clearly  a  digression  of  the  nature 
of  a  modern  footnote,  on  the  words  more  roiten  than  the  vessel 
that  carrieth  him.  Two  points  are  conceived  as  differentiating 
the  wood  of  the  ship  from  the  wood  of  the  idol :  (i)  the  design 
implied  in  a  ship  is  an  element  of  wisdom ;  (2)  the  ship  in  its 
navigation  is  a  subject  of  providential  guidance.  From  this  last 
the  thought  widens  to  the  providential  guidance  of  a  helpless 
raft,  and  of  the  ark. 

Page  107.  For  blessed  hath  been  tvcod  through  which  cometh 
righteousness.  The  word  righteousness  may  here  be  used  in  the 
sense  of  setting  right,  vindication,  salvation  (compare  Isaiah^ 
chapter  li.  5,  Ivi.  i),  in  allusion  to  the  "raging  waves":  but  it 
is  not  so  used  elsewhere  in  this  book,  unless  perhaps  in  the  close 
of  Essay  II  (page  80)  :  "  he  shall  put  on  righteousness  as  a 
breastplate."  Or  it  may  simply  imply  right  doing;  wood  used 
for  the  righteous  purpose  of  carrying  travellers  in  safety. 

Page  108.  For  the  devising  of  idols  was  the  beginning  of  for- 
nication :  here  begins  Digression  C,  on  the  Origin  of  Idolatry. 
(See  the  Syllabus.)  Fornication  or  adultery  is  a  regular  image 
in  the  O.T.  for  departure  from  God. 

Page  no.  But  thou,  our  God,  art  gracious  and  true:  at 
these  words  we  resume  Digression  B,  on  the  Folly  of  Idolatry. 
(See  the  Syllabus.) 

Page  III.  But  most  foolish  were  they  all :  here  we  pass  back 
to  Digression  A :  the  main  point  in  which  is  the  monstrous  idea 
of  vermin-worship  —  and  almost  immediately  the  main  argument 
191 


^  The    Wisdom    of   Solomon 

IS  recovered,  at  the  words  For  which  cause  zvere  these  men 
worthily  punished.  The  contrast  of  dainty  quails  with  loathly 
vermin  makes  Instance  II  of  the  text  of  Discourse  V, 

Page  112:  footnote.  This  is  clearly  a  parenthesis  of  the 
nature  of  a  footnote  to  the  idea :  "  a  man  made  them." 

Page  112.  For  even  whe}i  terrible  raging  of  wild  beasts  :  In- 
stance III  of  the  text.     (See  the  Syllabus.) 

Page  113:  But  thy  hand  it  is  not  possible  to  escape:  and 
page  114  :  footnote.  The  difficulties  of  this  passage  (which  I 
would  call  subtle  rather  than  obscure)  are  considerably  reduced 
by  the  recognition  of  certain  sentences  as  a  footnote.  Read 
without  the  footnote  the  paragraph  is  regular  in  its  order  of 
thought.  First :  the  writer  contrasts  the  destruction  by  fire 
fierce  enough  to  burn  amid  water  with  the  bounty  of  food 
wrought  by  fire  \_tempered'\  into  every  variety  of  taste.  This 
last  rests  upon  the  tradition  that  the  manna  was  cooked  food. 
Then  he  repeats  the  contrast :  the  unmelting  snow  and  hail  were 
evidence  that  the  fire  was  a  destructive  force  sent  against  God's 
enemies  ;  on  the  other  side,  fire  slackened  to  act  according  to 
the  desire  of  each  eater.  The  footnote  adds  a  distinct  marvel : 
this  fire  so  fiercely  destructive  must  have  restrained  itself  so  as 
not  to  destroy  the  lice  and  similar  creatures  still  plaguing  the 
Eg)'ptians.  Compare  the  same  circumstance  noted  in  the  perora- 
tion :  page  121. — For  that  which  was  not  marred  by  Jire  :  this 
is  a  further  contrast  brought  out  of  the  account  of  the  manna: 
while  the  tempering  fire  harmed  not  [but  improved]  the  miracu- 
lous food,  yet  a  faint  sunbeam  destroyed  it  {Fxodus,  chapter 
xvi.  21)  :  a  miracle  designed  to  teach  early  rising  to  offer  praise. 
192 


Notes  ^ 

Page  115  :  For  great  are  thy  jtidgements  :  here  begins  a  fifth- 
Instance  :  the  Plague  of  Darkness  contrasted  with  the  Miracu- 
lous Light  of  the  Israelites.  There  is  a  slight  shifting  of  the 
point  here :  a  contrasted  curse  and  blessing  rather  than  the 
same  thing  acting  as  curse  and  blessing.  But  the  spirit  of 
the  text  is  illustrated.  The  whole  is  a  magnificent  filling  in, 
by  *  analytic  imagination,'  of  details  into  the  phrase  of  Exodus  : 
"darkness  that  might  be  felt."  —  ^//  sleeping  the  same  sleep 
now  were  haunted  by  monstrous  apparitions.  The  writer's  diffi- 
culty is:  the  darkness  being  absolute,  how  can  he  enrich  his 
picture  with  visible  terrors  ?  He  evades  this  by  the  thought 
that  sleep  belongs  to  darkness,  and  yet  sees  terrors  in  dreams. 
The  same  idea  is  utilised  below  (page  119)  for  the  deaths  of 
the  firstborn. 

Page  116:  footnote.  This  reflection  (breaking  a  sustained 
passage  of  imaginative  picturing)  is  best  treated  as  a  footnote 
commenting  on  the  terror  painted  in  the  sentence  to  which  it  is 
attached.  The  final  words  of  the  note  are  difficult,  but  seem  to 
mean  this :  the  brave  man  has  the  rational  plan  of  escape  to 
divert  his  mind  from  the  terror  ;  whereas  the  coward,  having 
less  expectation  [of  escape]  gives  his  whole  attention  to  the 
unknown  terror. 

Page  117  :  footnote.  It  seems  to  me  that  these  words  are  an 
elaborate  parenthesis.  The  contrast  to  the  Plague  of  Darkness 
clearly  begins  with  the  words  Whereas  thou  didst  provide  for  thy 
people  a  hurtling  pillar  of  fire  ;  the  whereas  cannot  connect  with 
anything  but  the  preceding  paragraph.  The  words  I  have  rele- 
gated to  a  footnote  are  exegetical  of  yet  heavier  than  darkness 
o  193 


-59  The    Wisdom    of   Solomon 

were  they  unto  themselves;  they  express  the  uncomfortable 
thoughts  suggested  to  the  Egyptians  as  they  heard  through 
the  darkness  the  sound  of  IsraeHte  voices. 

Page  117.  For  well  did  the  Egyptians  deserve  :  once  more  the 
idea  of  nemesis  is  added  to  the  main  argument. 

Page  117.  After  they  had  taken  counsel :  here  commences 
Instance  VI :  the  same  night  brought  deliverance  to  the  Israel- 
ites and  death  to  the  firstborn  of  the  Egyptians.  Again  the 
thought  of  nemesis  is  added  to  the  main  argument :  the  slaying 
of  the  firstborn  fitly  punished  the  Egyptians  for  slaying  the  males 
of  the  Israelites. 

Page  iig.  But  it  befell  the  righteous  also  to  7nake  trial  of 
death.  Here  begins  the  final  Instance  of  the  text :  Death  as  a 
form  of  mercy  to  the  Israelites  in  the  incident  of  Phinehas: 
Death  as  utter  destruction  to  the  Egyptians  in  the  Red  Sea. 

Page  120.  For  the  whole  creation,  each  part  in  its  several  kind, 
was  fashioned  again  anezu  :  here  commences  the  peroration,  or 
summary.  (See  the  Syllabus.)  It  draws  into  one  view  the 
past  [^they  still  remembered  the  things  that  came  to  pass  in  the 
tinie  of  their  sojourning :  and  plagues  of  Egypt  are  enumer- 
ated], and  the  present  \jhe71  was  beheld  the  cloud  .  .  .  and  d?'y 
land  rising  up  out  of  what  before  was  water,  etc.],  and  the 
future  \but  afterwards  they  saw  also  a  new  race  of  birds']  :  in 
order  to  make  a  basis  for  the  climax  that  the  elements  of  nature 
interchanged  like  the  notes  of  a  psaltery. 

Page  121 :  footnote.  This  lengthy  passage  is  clearly  an  elab- 
orate parenthesis  or  note  exegetical  of  the  word  tokens.  The 
Egyptians  did  not  perish  so  suddenly  but  that  the  thunders 
194 


Notes  ^ 

reminded  them  that  it  was  for  their  sins  that  they  were  going  to 
be  destroyed.  The  footnote  enlarges  upon  these  sins,  making 
an  elaborate  parallel  between  the  inhospitality  of  the  men  of 
Sodom  (punished  by  an  overwhelming  of  fire)  and  the  greater 
inhospitality  of  the  Eg}'ptians  towards  the  Israelites.  The  par- 
allel is  carried  to  the  degree  of  making  the  plague  of  darkness 
a  counterpart  to  the  sudden  blinding  of  the  men  of  Sodom  by 
the  angels  (^Genesis,  chapter  xix.  ii). 
195 


Index 


REFERENCE  TABLE 

To  connect  the  Numbering  in  the  Present  Edition  with  the  Chapters 
atid  Verses  of  the  Bible  and  Apocrypha 

ECCLESIASTES 


Prologue 

Essay  I 

Essay  II Ill 

Miscellanea 

i 

ii 

iii 

iv 

Essay  III 

Miscellanea 

V 

vi 

vii 

viii 

ix 

X 

xi 

Essay  IV 

Miscellanea 

xii 

xiii 

xiv 


Chap. 

Verse 

I 

2 

12 

III 

I 

IV 

9 

13 

V 

I 

8 

10 

VII 

I 

7 

8 

II 

13 

15 

19 

23 

IX 

17 

18 

X 

I 

XV 

Chap. 
X 

Verse 
2 

xvi           . 

4 
5 
8 

xvii 

9 
10 

XX 

xxi 

II 

xxii 

12 

xxiii 

15 
16 

xxiv       .    . . 

18 

19 

xxviii 

xxix 

XI 

I 
2 

XXX 

xxxi 

3 
4 

5 
6 

Essay  V 

Epilogue  .... 

.....XII 

7 
8 

199 


-^  Reference   Table 


THE    WISDOM  OF  SOLOMON 

Chap.     Verse  I  Chap.     Verse 

Discourse  I I  i  I  Discourse  IV X  i 

Discourse  II 12  j  Discourse  V XI 

Discourse  III VI  12  I 

200 


GENERAL  INDEX 


ECCLESIASTES 

Page 

Prologue  :  All  is  Vanity 5 

I  Essay :  Solomon's  Search  for  Wisdom 9 

II  Essay :  The  Philosophy  of  Times  and  Seasons 15 

i    A  Maxim  ("  Two  are  better  than  one  ") 23 

ii     A  Maxim  ("  Better  is  a  poor  and  wise  youth  ") 23 

iii     A  Maxim  ("  Keep  thy  foot  when  thou  goest ") 24 

iv    A  Maxim  ("  If  thou  seest  the  oppression  ") 25 

III  Essay :  The  Vanity  of  Desire 27 

V    A  Maxim  ("A  good  name  is  better  than  precious  ointment")  35 

vi     Unit  Proverb 35 

N-ii    A  Maxim  ("  Better  is  the  end  of  a  thing  ") 36 

viii    A  Maxim  ("  Wisdom  is  as  good  as  an  inheritance  ") 36 

ix    A  Maxim  ("  Consider  the  work  of  God  ") 36 

X    A  Maxim  ("  All  this  have  I  seen  ")   37 

xi     A  Maxim  ("  Wisdom  is  a  strength  to  the  wise  man  ")....  37 

IV  Essay  :  The  Search  for  Wisdom  with  Notes  by  the  Way. ...  39 

xii-xiv     Unit  Proverbs 49 

XV    A  Maxim  ("A  wise  man's  heart  is  at  his  right  hand ")....  49 
201 


-^  General    Index 

Pa£e 

xvi    Unit  Proverb 50 

xvii    A  Maxim  ("  There  is  an  evil  which  I  have  seen  ") 50 

xviii,  xix    Unit  Proverbs 50 

XX    An  Epigram  ("  If  the  iron  be  blunt ") 51 

xxi    Unit  Proverb 51 

xxii    A  Maxim  ("  The  words  of  a  wise  man's  mouth  ") 51 

xxiii    Unit  Proverb 51 

xxiv    An  Epigram  ("  Woe  to  thee,  O  land  ") 52 

XXV,  xxvi     Unit  Proverbs 52 

xxvii    An  Epigram  ("  Curse  not  the  king  ") 52 

xxviii,  xxix     Unit  Proverb 53 

XXX    An  Epigram  ("  If  the  clouds  be  full  of  rain  ") 53 

xxxi,  xxxii    Unit  Proverbs 53 

xxxiii    A  Maxim  ("  In  the  morning  sow  thy  seed  ") 54 

V  Essay :  Life  as  a  Joy  shadowed  by  the  Judgment 55 

with  Sonnet :  The  Coming  of  the  Evil  Days 57 

Epilogue  :  All  is  Vanity  —  fear  God 59 


THE    WISDOM  OF  SOLOMON 

I  Discourse :  Singleness  of  Heart 67 

II  Discourse :  Immortality  and  the  Covenant  with  Death 71 

III  Discourse  :  Solomon's  Winning  of  Wisdom 83 

IV  Discourse  :  The  World  saved  through  Wisdom 93 

V  Discourse  :  Judgments  on  the  Wicked  turning  to  Blessings 

on  God's  People 99 

Syllabus  and  Notes  to  Ecclesiastes 123 

Syllabus  and  Notes  to  Wisdon: 165 

202 


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The  Modern  Reader's  Bible, 

A  Series  of  Books  from  the  Sacred  Scriptures, 
presented  in  Modem  Literary  Form, 

BY 

RICHARD    G.    MOULTON, 

M.A.  (Camb.),  Ph.D.  ':Penn.). 
Professor  of  Literature  in  English  in  the  University  of  Chicago. 


PRESS  COMMENTS. 


"  The  effect  of  these  changes  back  to  the  original  forms  under 
which  the  sacred  writings  first  appeared  will  be,  for  the  vast  ma- 
jority of  readers,  a  surprise  and  delight ;  they  will 
The  Outlook,  feel  as  if  they  had  come  upon  new  spiritual  and 

New  York.  intellectual  treasures,  and  they  will  appreciate  for 

the  first  time  how  much  the  Bible  has  suffered 
from  the  hands  of  those  who  have  treated  it  without  reference  to  its 
literary  quality.  In  view  of  the  significance  and  possible  results  of 
Professor  Moulton's  undertaking,  it  is  not  too  much  to  pronounce 
it  one  of  the  most  important  spiritual  and  literary  events  of  the 
times.  It  is  part  of  the  renaissance  of  Biblical  study ;  but  it  may 
mean,  and  in  our  judgment  it  does  mean,  the  renewal  of  a  fresh  and 
deep  impression  of  the  beauty  and  power  of  the  supreme  spiritual 
writing  of  the  world." 

"  Unquestionably  here  is  a  task  worth  carrying  out :  and  it  is  to 
be  said  at  once  that  Dr.  Moulton  has  carried  it 
Presbyterian  out  with  great  skill  and  helpfulness.     Both  the 

and  Reformed         introduction  and  the  notes  are  distinct  contribu- 
Review.  tions  to   the    better   understanding   and   higher 

appreciation  of  the  literary  character,  feature.'' 
^nd  beauties  of  the  Biblical  books  treated." 

THE    MACMILLAN    COMPANY 

66    FIFTH    AVENUE,    NEW    YORK 


WISDOM  SERIES 

IN   FOUR  VOLUMES 

THE  PROVERBS 

A  Miscellany  of  Sayings  and  Poems  embodying  Isolated  Obser 
vations  of  Life. 

ECCLESIASTICUS 

A  Miscellany  including  longer  compositions,  still  embodying 
only  Isolated  Observations  of  Life. 

ECCLESIASTES  — WISDOM  OF  SOLOMON 

Each  is  a  Series  of  Connected  Writings  embodying,  from  dif- 
ferent standpoints,  a  Solution  of  the  Whole  Mystery  of  Life. 

THE   BOOK  OF  JOB 

A  Dramatic  Poem  in  which  are  embodied  Varying  Solutions  of 
the  Mystery  of  Life. 


DEUTERONOMY 

The  Orations  and  Songs  of  Moses,  constituting  his  Farewell  to 
the  People  of  Israel. 

BIBLICAL  IDYLS 

The  Lyric  Idyl  of  Solomon's  Song,  and  the  Epic  Idyls  of  Ruth. 
Esther,  and  Tobit. 

THE  PSALMS  (Two  Volumes) 

Containing  the  whole  of  The  Psalms  and  also  the  Book  of 
Lamentations. 

SELECT    MASTERPIECES   OF   BIBLICAL  LITERATURE 

2 


HISTORY  SERIES 

IN    FIVE   VOLUMES 

GENESIS 

Bible  History,  Part  I  :  Formation  of  the  Chosen  Nation. 
THE   EXODUS 

Bible  History,  Part  II  :  Migration  of  the  Chosen  Nation  to  the 
Land  of  Promise.  —  Book  of  Exodus,  with  Leviticus  and  Num- 
bers. 

THE  JUDGES 

Bible  History,  Part  III:  The  Chosen  Nation  in  its  Efforts 
towards  Secular  Government.  —  Books  of  Joshua,  Judges, 
I  Samuel. 

THE   KINGS 

Bible  History,  Part  IV :  The  Chosen  Nation  under  a  Secular 
Government  side  by  side  with  a  Theocracy.  —  Books  of  II 
Samuel,  I  and  II  Kings. 

THE   CHRONICLES 

Ecclesiastical  History  of  the  Chosen  Nation.  —  Books  of  Chron- 
icles, Ezra.  Nehemiah. 


PROPHECY  SERIES 

IN    FOUR  VOLUMES 

ISAIAH 

The  vision  of  Isaiah,  the  Son  of  Amoz,  which  he  saw  concern 
ing  Judah  and  Jerusalem  in  the  days  of  Uzziah,  Jotham,  Ahaz, 
and  Hezekiah,  Kings  of  Judah. 

EZEKIEL 

The  prophetic  works  of  Ezekiel. 
JEREMIAH 

The  words  of  Jeremiah,  the  Son  of  Hilkiah,  to  whom  the  Word 
of  the  Lord  came  in  the  days  of  Josiah,  Jehoiakim,  and  Zede- 
kiah,  Kings  of  Judah. 


DANIEL  AND  THE  MINOR  PROPHETS 

Containing  The  Book  of  Daniel,  The  Prophecy  of  Hosea,  The 
Prophecy  of  Joel,  The  Book  of  Amos,  The  Vision  of  Obadiah, 
The  Book  of  Jonah,  The  Prophecy  of  Micah,  The  Oracle  Con- 
cerning Nineveh  and  the  Book  of  Nahum,  The  Oracle  which 
Habakkuk  did  see,  The  Prophecy  of  Zephaniah,  The  Book  of 
Haggai,  The  Book  of  Zechariah,  and  other  anonymous  prophe- 
cies. 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SERIES 

IN   FOUR  VOLUMES 

ST.   MATTHEW,   ST.   MARK,   and   the  GENERAL 
EPISTLES 

Containing  The  Gospel  according  to  St.  Matthew,  The  Gospel 
according  to  St.  Mark,  an  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  The  Epistle 
of  St.  James,  The  Epistles  of  St.  Peter,  and  The  Epistle  of  St. 
Jude. 

ST.  LUKE  and  ST.  PAUL  (Two  Volumes) 

Containing  The  Gospel  of  St.  Luke,  The  Acts  of  the  Apostles, 
with  the  Pauline  Epistles  introduced  at  the  several  points  of  the 
history  to  which  they  are  usually  referred.  An  opportunity  will 
thus  be  afforded  of  studying,  vvithout  the  interruption  of  com- 
ment or  discussion,  the  continuous  History  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment Church  as  presented  by  itself. 

ST.  JOHN 

Containing  the  Gospel,  Epistles,  and  Revelation  of  St.  John. 


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